Last week I left Florence and headed to New York City for the College Media Advisers 2014 Spring Conference. The conference is a three-day event with educational sessions and discussions with college media groups across the country.

As a photographer, I attended a number of sessions and networked with other student photographers around the country. Other members of The Flor-Ala and Diorama went, too, to increase their knowledge of print journalism, design and issues other student publications face across the country.

I had never been to New York, so the trip turned out to be both educational and a nice vacation.

We visited several places, including the Empire State Building, FAO Schwarz and the New York Public Library. Upon leaving the library, we noticed a large group of protestors standing in front of the steps. According to the protestors, the libraries are being sold and there are plans to demolish two of them and send the books in the New York Public Library to permanent storage.

The highlight of my trip was on the last day. I wasn’t ready to leave the “Big Apple,” but I’m a morning person so I packed my things and headed down to the lobby for a hot cup of coffee. When I got to the lobby, I saw a group of runners from Brazil.

I decided this was the perfect time to practice the Portuguese I’m learning at UNA. I told them I study the language here in the U.S. and after a short conversation walked away with one of my favorite photos.

Not only does the final photo capture a very special moment in my trip, but it is a reminder that what I’m learning at UNA will help me network and build connections wherever I go.