Spring — 2011

Gerom Bayanito

Photography

“I used to be very shy about asking my teachers for help. But my instructors at SMC really helped me to open up and become positive.”

He was in his sixth year at SMC, and more than a little bewildered about what the College—and his future—might bring. “I’m just not sure what sort of photography I’d like to do: National Geographic travel, models, animals, or portraits. Maybe all of them,” he says while laughing. “But right now, I’m just concentrating on my GEs, and then I’ll see where that leads me. I have a lot of financial problems at the moment. But once I get those cleared up, I think the picture will get a lot clearer.”

Gerom chose SMC because “I heard that they have a lot more to offer than any other community college. I heard this as well from my brother, who’s now at SMC studying film. I guess we’re just a very artistic family. My other interests,” he continues, “are theatre arts, film, and orchestral music: all the creative fields, really. So I’m just hoping that one of them will ‘click’ with me, and that then I’ll have a better idea about my direction.”

Speaking of that ‘click,’ it happened for Gerom when he first arrived at SMC and got serious. “In high school, I just didn’t feel interested or connected. But since I’ve come here and started college, I’ve been very disciplined about attending classes, because now I really understand how important they are for my future. I want to keep learning,” he continues, “for as long as I can. And knowing what your responsibilities are in any college can help you move forward and toward your goals.”

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