Helping hands, seeing eyes: Sophomore Connor Burress looks for stories to tell
Camera in hand, sophomore Connor Burress is on the run again -- through the school, looking for pictures, that is. Last year was his first year on the staff, and much to his surprise, a photo he took was chosen to be used as the title page for the 2021 yearbook. “When I initially took the photo used for the title page of the yearbook, I had no expectation for it to be used for that purpose. I expected it to go in something smaller, like a divider,” he said. He was proud -- and quite inspired to continue finding ways to improve on his photography.
Burress was introduced to the publications world at a young age as his mom, Michelle Burress, is the teacher of the class. Although his mom is the teacher, it was his brother Mason, who was a member a few years ago, who got him interested in joining the staff. “I’ve known the publications staff for a long time and it’s just been something that I’ve always been interested in,” he said. Once he joined the staff, he chose to pursue the photography aspect of publications and has a knack for it.
As well as taking photos for the school’s yearbook, Burress is in his second year of being the videographer for the school’s varsity football team. His role as the videographer is to video the football practices from the box above the bleachers. This gained him access to things not very many people get to do. “I was in the middle of a huddle where the team was praying before a big game. It was interesting to be in the midst of something most people never see,” he said.
Burress got into this position because the football coach, Brian Woodard, asked him to be the manager for the team. Overall, he said he has enjoyed this experience and is glad he gets to do it again this year.
Along with having a love for photography, he also has a love for helping people and being around them. He explained how he believes that everyone is different and has their own story to tell. “Getting to know people lets you know so much more about who they are as a person, and I want to know more about everybody,” he said. He wants to find out as many people’s stories as possible.
It is easy for him to get other people’s stories because he said he has always been an outgoing child -- loving and accepting each person for who they are. Although at times he may be introverted around new people, once he gets used to a person, he says he is a sweet, kind friend. Burress loves to help people; he wants them to open up to him so he can help them in any way possible. “I can’t think of a time that I’ve been completely overjoyed to help someone, it’s just a constant state of happiness,” he said
\tBurress hopes to take his passion for helping people and turn it into a career. He explained that he is interested in the medical field. It makes a lot of sense, as it ties in with one of his main passions: he loves the aspect of helping people day-to-day as much as he can. This also gives him opportunities to find out new things about the world and what people have done. “Nine times out of 10, I don’t know someone, so it’s just a blank slate to make a new impression,” he explained.
Traveling also is a passion of his. He hopes that once he becomes a nurse that he can go around the world and do new things in the medical field. “If I follow my true passion, which is traveling, I will be helping people all around the world,” he said. “Probably in offices, doing surgeries or anything that I can, really.”
As well as working in the medical field, Burress hopes to continue photography on the side. It is an important part of his life that he wants to keep with him. He sees it as an amazing hobby to carry with him through his adulthood. “I really enjoy taking photos of people,” he said, “seeing different experiences, seeing things out of a different way, differently than most people would see them.”\t
\tIn the year that Burress has spent on the Publications staff, his future has been shaped by the experiences he has gone through. Burress discovered things about himself and others in the past year that he didn’t see before. There’s always the saying about “treating people the way you want to be treated,” but it’s not just how one treats them, it’s how one sees them. “You have to see people without judging them,” said Burress. “You can just see them for who they are. Just a person.”
Story by Kate Amos