Photo | Whorton Photo & Film
The newest face on campus is Melanie Paterak, who joined MARCOMM as a university photographer. Paterak’s hometown is Atkins, but she moved to Russellville as an adult; one of the reasons for the move was because Tech felt like home.
Growing up, Paterak spent her summers on campus looking out the windows of Corely while her mom worked. “Every season of my life has included Tech. When this position opened, there was absolutely no doubt in my mind it was exactly where I was supposed to land,” Paterak said.
Paterak started taking photos in 2010 with the hopes of having better pictures of her children, “Someone else took the portraits I had taken and opened a business page with them because they saw talent in me. Much to my surprise, the inquiries began rolling in quickly. I knew I had to learn everything very fast, and the rest is history,” Paterak said.
Noting that she is genuinely in her element with a camera in her hand, she also mentions her love for traveling with her children. “I have three beautiful children whom I want to show the world to. It is a life goal for me to make sure they’re well-traveled and we are making memories in places all over the world,” she said.
While she has not worked in other universities, Paterak is looking forward to this position. “Specifically at Tech, my goal is to make every person I come into contact with excited about portraits and enjoy having their photos taken. I am looking forward to being part of a team and serving the University and the goals and vision for students,” she said.
To view her work, you can visit her website www.portraitsbymelaniepaterak.com.
