A Change in Perspective

By Claire Partain

cmp160@txstate.edu

 

 Halle Hendry’s trips to Guatemala were an eye-opening experience that drove her to pursue journalism in hopes of educating others on different cultures.

     Hendry, 19, is a sophomore majoring in journalism. Originally from Richardson, a Dallas suburb, she attended Richardson High School. She participated in gymnastics and photography organizations, both of which she began at an early age. She has competed in various photography contests, taking a special interest in chiaroscuro, or the manipulation of light and shadows.

    In high school, Hendry was also involved in the church community. Through the Dallas Bible Church and later, Parks City Baptist Church, she traveled to Guatemala five times on mission trips. Among her trips, Hendry helped build a house for a six-person family living in a one-room tin home. On another, the mission workers built a school. Hendry also assisted at a children’s home and visited a dump in which 13,000 people live, selling and scavenging waste for a living. The trips revealed that she was, to her surprise, allergic to concrete. They also significantly changed her

perspective.

    “When I went to Guatemala, it was like getting hit in the face with a brick,” Hendry said. “I was so aware of every difference in how those people lived. With my journalism, I really want to help others come to that realization as well.”

   Hendry hopes to combine her passions to become both a journalist and photographer, traveling and enlightening others about different walks of life.