November 15, 2022

By University Relations Student Journalist Olivia Tucker

VINCENNES, Ind. - Alexandria “Alex” Kraftor ‘23 loves picturesque underwater ecosystems and wants to share them with anyone willing to soak in the beauty through the lens of her camera.

The vivid colors and diverse organisms living in the water call the Vincennes University Photography major to connect the world with all there is to discover under the water.

Kraftor, who is from Knox, Indiana, is building her portfolio and perfecting her photography to achieve her goal of a career in underwater photography.

“I really like underwater ecosystems,” Kraftor says. “The life. The color. They’re all fascinating. I want to show people the beauty of that world.”

She has aspirations of working at a zoo or an aquarium after she graduates with her second VU degree in 2023.

Kraftor has already earned an associate degree in Biological, Biomedical Sciences from VU. She graduated with the biology degree in April 2022.

“I already have a degree in biology and I need to have that to do anything with zoos and aquariums,” she says. “I'm working on obtaining a degree in photography which I want to hopefully lean more towards from a career standpoint.”  

She is confident that having a biology degree has set her on the right path to being able to work with animals in her future career. Some of her most memorable academic experiences at VU are electrofishing and tagging monarch butterflies in a biology exploration class.

One step Kraftor has taken to show people the gorgeous underwater world is getting her scuba certification through VU. She earned certification at the state-of-the-art Aquatic Center on the Vincennes Campus.

Kraftor says, “VU has allowed me to receive my scuba certification, which I will hopefully use for my dream underwater photographer job.”

She has participated in the Biology Club. She is actively involved in the Photography Club. Kraftor recently enjoyed an incredible experience when she and other Photography Club members attended a Society for Photographic Education Conference in October in Cincinnati.

Kraftor says VU has put her one step closer to making her dreams a reality.

She is blazing her trail with a burning passion for photography and biology. That is what makes Kraftor a Trailblazer. 

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