Goodbye Column: Alex Renda

Dec 13, 20233 min read

Photography Co-Director

Throughout high school, I always loved art, but I never considered it an actual career path for me. It was a safe space to express thoughts and emotions freely with no judgment. Just me and whatever random art piece I decided to cook up in my room or on my computer. When it came time to apply to colleges, I realized the only thing I was truly passionate about was art. My brain immediately went to the stigma of art not being a real career and there being no money in it, making me lean further toward the undecided route. After many conversations with family and friends, I decided to take the road less traveled that was calling me and figure it out as I went. Little did I know this path would lead me to Rowdy.

During my freshman year, I was an extrovert, overwhelmed by the opportunities available at school. There were so many things I wanted to do, but I felt like a small fish in an ocean and began limiting myself mentally. The creativity and passion I thought I was stepping foot into were being lost by an overwhelming sense of potential failure and self–comparison. Fall semester went by, and by spring, I knew I needed a change, so I turned to the one place I knew I could find somewhere to get involved… social media. A few profile stalks later, I had deep-dived right to Rowdy Magazine’s page, where I found exactly what I was looking for; “7.5 APPLICATIONS OFFICIALLY OPEN!”

I took it as a sign and immediately applied for merch designer, but after a while after receiving the position realized I wanted more out of Rowdy. I wanted to be hands-on, devoting my time and energy to this magazine. With this, I branched out for V8 and applied for Assistant Photo Director, where I met my photo partner in crime, Kira. Neither of us had any experience in creative directing; we just loved photography and setting a scene. Assuming the Photo Director position came sooner than we thought and we agreed that neither of us wanted to do it alone. “Better together,” if you will. Two more volumes later, here we are!

I won’t bore you with more storytelling, but the point of this is what I wish someone would have told freshman year Alex. Take chances, believe in yourself, and do not limit yourself out of fear that you will fail or someone will be better than you. Rowdy has brought me friendships, memories, lessons, and, most importantly, the confidence to be loud.

To Kira–I could not have gotten luckier with Angie’s choice of Assistant Photo Directors. Thank you for keeping me sane when sh*t would hit the fan.

To the rest of the exec–you do not go unnoticed and it has been such a pleasure to lead this project alongside you all.

To the photo team–you are creative geniuses in all of your niche, spunky ways, and I am so grateful to have had the chance to work with you through the controlled chaos that is our shoots.

To all of Rowdy Nation–thank you for supporting all that we do.

Though I will be passing the torch as Photo Director, this is not the last you will see of me :))))))

LOVE TO YOU ALL, STAY FUNKY AND FUN!

Alex

Alex is from Naples, FL and is a third-year Graphic Design major with a minor in Mass Communications. In her free time, Alex enjoys basking on the beach, browsing through her carefully curated Pinterest boards and Spotify playlists, exploring coffee shops, spending time with her animals, and sharing a good meal with friends or family.