Jess Keller, owner of Light & Lens Studios in Glens Falls, presented Queensbury fourth grader Charlotte Derue with a digital camera Wednesday, Sept. 23 after seeing a Facebook post about the student’s dream of becoming a photographer.
Charlotte and her classmates at the William H. Barton Intermediate School recently glued their dreams on the wall in the school’s hallway, an annual tradition. The project aligns with Queensbury’s district-wide mission to help students articulate their dreams and develop strategies to make those dreams come true.
Keller saw the story on Facebook and noticed that at least one student dreamed of a future in photography. Keller visited the school and presented the camera, a case, memory card, some stickers, a keychain and a quick lesson on how to use it.
“I wanted to be a photographer starting around her age,” Keller said. Light & Lens offers studio and dark room rentals as well as lessons and photography classes. “I just wanted to make sure everyone has access to cameras.”
A camera was at the top of Charlotte’s Christmas list. The 9-year-old likes to photograph birds.
“Our mission here is ‘Let your dreams fly at WHBI,’ so we do this goal setting for the kids at the beginning of the year to pursue your dream,” said Principal Amanda Denno. “No dream is too big, no dream is too small. We leave it up all year, and the kids walk by it every single day, and it’s a good reminder every day to work toward your dream.”