While I just recently started to pour my heart into building Kyla Shattuck Photography, I’ve been laying the foundation for it for the past decade! Little by little, the dream of becoming a wedding photographer began to take root in my heart. And little by little, I began to take steps to make it happen. If you enjoy reading stories as much as I do, you’re in for a treat!

Part 1: Where It All Began
Part 2: The Magazine That Changed the Game
Part 3: Friendship and Opportunity
Part 4: Unfinished Business

I am a first-generation college student and have always had a love of learning. After taking some time away from college, I was determined to finish what I started. Even though I had the dream of building my own business, there was some unfinished business to attend to, first. I really wanted to complete my college education before building a business. After taking some time away from school, I enrolled in courses at UNH again in Fall 2014. While my end goal was always to earn my Bachelor’s degree, I was only two courses shy of earning an Associate’s degree, so I went for it. I knew it would also serve as a milestone on the way to earning my BA. 

Coming back strong

That fall, I worked hard and ended up getting a 4.0 in my first semester back to college, completing my Associate’s degree with two As. From there, I knew I wanted to complete my Bachelor’s degree before building a business. Even though I wanted to finish as soon as possible, I was determined to do so with the least debt possible, too. I wondered if I could get a job working in higher education and take advantage of the accompanying tuition benefits.

When the time was right, I applied to work at a local University that has an incredible mission and also offers great tuition benefits. I was an Admission Counselor, helping others to find the right path for their future. All the while, I knew in my heart that I wanted to build a successful business of my own someday. The work was fulfilling and continued to fuel my dreams as I listened to others share about there. I was also increasingly excited to resume my studies. I soon found a program that both interested me, but also accepted all of my transfer credits from UNH. I was almost ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work that spring, but had one major life milestone to experience first…

To be continued… Click HERE to read Part 5!

Catch up on the rest of my story HERE! And be sure to follow along on Instagram so you don’t miss a thing!