spring 2011
evine, 25, lives in Manhattan and works as a freelance photographer for magazines, brands, online media, and more.
clark alumni magazine
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Much of her job involves photographing popular musicians, bands and public personalities. Her work has taken her to Miami, Los Angeles, London, Chicago, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Detroit and beyond. She’s been up-close and personal with dozens of pop-culture notables, including Alicia Keys, Elvis Costello, John Legend, Kim Kardashian, Usher, Vampire Weekend, Keri Hilson, Billy Corgan, Wyclef Jean, Kylie Minogue, Paramore and Jason Derulo. Among her corporate clients are AOL, MTV, Boston magazine, Converse, Bumble and bumble, Gawker, and several record labels. “It’s a blast getting to work with such talented and inspiring people,” she says. “Freelancing gives me the freedom to shoot so many different projects, to be somewhere new every day, to meet so many different people, and to travel to places I wouldn’t have otherwise been able to see. It’s definitely a challenge, but one that excites me every day.” Although her college search led her to visit several campuses, Levine, who grew up outside of Boston, applied to Clark only. “I wanted to be part of a school that made ‘making the world a better place’ a top priority,” she says. “I also wanted to go to a small school with a close-knit campus feel, and wanted to be within driving distance of my family.” Levine seems to thrive on challenges, and while at Clark she actively sought them out or simply created her own. By the end of her first year, she had decided to double-major in studio art (photography) and psychology, with a concentration in Mandarin Chinese language. Levine credits a close high school friend, Celeste Lam, for fostering her interest in Mandarin. “She gave me weekly quizzes, flashcards, and taught me all about the
language, culture and pronunciation,” Levine says. “I had been learning Chinese from her for three years before I started officially studying it at Clark — I was excited to take what I had learned one-on-one from her and see what it was like to study it in a classroom.” As a Clark sophomore in 2004, Levine founded STIR magazine, the University’s first student-run lifestyle, culture and art-photography publication. “I so badly wanted to be doing photo shoots for publication. I was never really satisfied just shooting for class, I always wanted there to be a purpose to my shoots, so I created a magazine that would showcase and feature work by Clark students and, eventually, the [Colleges of the Worcester] Consortium students. It was one of the most exciting things I’ve ever been part of — from our first meeting in my apartment with a few friends, to weekly meetings of 20 to 30 people, all so excited to be writing, shooting, editing, modeling and designing.” From the beginning, Levine set the bar high at STIR, gathering a team of talented fellow students who helped her produce a provocative full-color magazine. She notes the support she received from her friends, the Student Council and faculty mentors, as well as guidance from George Gendron, founding director of Clark’s Innovation & Entrepreneurship program. Thanks to Levine’s clearly set vision and standards, STIR continues to thrive at Clark. “I really thank Clark for allowing me to grow this project, something that helped me learn so much about being a photographer, not to mention running a staff, designing a publication, selling advertising and raising money, dealing with printers and community groups,” Levine says. “STIR was a gateway to my first job as