In 2018, The New York Times ran a global, “This is 18” feature to celebrate girls and women around the world. A small group of female photographers, aged 18, were selected from different countries around the world. They were tasked with finding and documenting a “day in the life” of another 18-year-old. The totality of the project depicted life for girls aged 18 from all over the world.

Akili Dada Student Sarah Sunday was selected to participate in this project based upon a recommendation from one of Photo Start’s key advisors, Brad Smith, who formerly worked at The New York Times.

Sarah impressed the staff so much that they asked her to feature a second subject. Her images were featured online and in print. She was compensated for her efforts by The New York Times. Sarah was encouraged by this experience to submit images to the competition “Girl’s’ Voices for Change”. Her work featuring a different perspective on her native South Sudan won the Courage Award.

This is a perfect example of how Photo Start connects students to opportunity.

Partner: Akili Dada Foundation