Through Her Lens — Analise Gil’s Journey from Driller Nation to USC

Under the glow of Friday evening lights, there may be loads of stress on the gridiron, however not only for the gamers. For the previous a number of years at Bakersfield High School’s historic Griffith Field, followers might additionally discover senior Analise Gil on the sidelines, digicam in hand, able to seize the right shot. What started as a method to doc her older brother’s baseball video games rapidly grew right into a ardour that may in the end form her future.

“I’ve always been artsy and grew up drawing most of my life, but I switched to photography when my older brother started playing baseball for BHS,” Gil mentioned. “I wanted to try a different art form, and growing up we moved a lot and I lost many pictures, so I wanted to make sure we had those memories to look back on and know they really happened.”

Starting on the BHS baseball subject, Gil started capturing moments for gamers, their households, and the college neighborhood. As her expertise developed, so did her status, opening doorways to new alternatives on and off campus.

Rob Meszaros, whose son performed baseball at BHS alongside Gil’s brother, recalled noticing one thing particular about her expertise early on. He mentioned he started seeing her photographs on Instagram and assumed they have been taken by an expert photographer earlier than realizing they have been Gil’s work.

“I remember thinking, who is this photographer they hired?” Meszaros mentioned. “Then I found out it was a student, which was so impressive. Her eye for the moment and the quality of her work stood out right away.”

The Meszaros household, like many others who had come to admire her work, ultimately employed Gil to take their son’s senior portraits.

Gil credit a lot of her success to the assist of those that gave her an opportunity on the sidelines. 

“If our coaches, athletic directors, and principal didn’t let me out there, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” Gil mentioned. “There’s no way I’d be able to do what I do without them, and I wouldn’t be going to USC for photography.”

As the years handed, Gil took her expertise from the baseball diamond and located a second house below the stadium lights of Driller soccer.

“I’ve watched these players grow from our freshman year to now,” Gil mentioned, describing how documenting their journeys has turn into one of the significant elements of her work. 

Through her lens, Gil has turn into greater than a photographer. She has turn into a visible storyteller for the Driller nation and a central determine in Bakersfield High’s athletic neighborhood.

“What truly distinguishes Analise is how she has integrated her passion for photography into service to our school community,” mentioned Principal Ryan Geivet. “She has become the chronicler of our campus life, particularly for our athletic programs, using her creative talents to celebrate student achievements and strengthen school spirit.”

Gievet says this capability to mix creative imaginative and prescient with neighborhood service displays a maturity that can serve her properly as she pursues her ardour on the collegiate degree.

As a first-generation faculty pupil, Gil’s subsequent step marks not solely a private milestone, however a significant achievement for her household. She will attend the University of Southern California, the place she plans to pursue a Bachelor of Arts and proceed her work in sports activities images.

“I will hopefully be on the sidelines with Trojan football and all the other Trojan sports offered at USC,” mentioned Gil. “That’s what I plan to achieve while I’m there.”

But, she has her sights set even increased. Upon graduating faculty, Gil hopes to turn into a world sports activities photographer for the NFL.

“That’s really my dream,” she mentioned. “I want to be out there when NFL teams are traveling to different countries and playing games, and I’m holding on to that little sliver of hope that maybe it will happen.”

Reflecting on her journey, Gil encourages others to by no means hand over on their very own passions. 

“As cliché as it sounds, don’t give up,” she mentioned. “Everything is going to be hard at some point, no matter what you choose to do. Being an artist isn’t easy, and a lot of people get discouraged because they’re worried about whether it’s realistic — but if you love what you do, it doesn’t feel like work.”