Receiving an Edward Taylor Coombs Foundation scholarship while a student at The Haverford School provided Myles Scott with a definite advantage as it opened the door to additional financial aid opportunities.
Myles, who graduated from the private boys high school in 2018, was talking to an admissions representative at University of Hartford, who was impressed with his ability to obtain scholarships so early in his academic career.
“Tell me more about this organization, where it’s from and how you received this opportunity,” Myles recalled the university’s admissions representative saying. “I was awarded more money through my school.”
Early career goals
An avid photographer and visual arts lover, Myles obtained a degree in photography with a minor in art history. He also studied graphic design.
“When I was first applying to schools, I mostly just knew I loved photography in general,” he said. “I appreciated art, but I definitely had much more of a bias specifically to photography.”
While at the University of Hartford, Myles photographed the Black Student Union’s annual fashion show and tournaments for the university’s E sports team, a videogame club. He also won the Sal Lopes award for photography in 2021.
During college he also began taking note of various other art mediums.
A three-month study abroad opportunity in Italy “helped me appreciate and love photography more.”
A scholarship covered the cost of a camera lens that Myles used to photograph picturesque landscapes while visiting Italy.
“Since I was 10 years old, the place I wanted to go to the most, was Italy,” Myles said of the “amazing” trip. “It was so strange in the sense that when you’re there, people live and breathe art.”
Since graduating in 2022, Myles has worked as a freelance photographer, undertaking portraiture sessions and photographing events, such as those run by sororities, as well as Jack and Jill of America, Inc., for the Bucks and Montgomery county chapters.
Switching career gears
Finding full-time photography work post-pandemic has been challenging.
“I was immediately looking at other avenues,” he said. “I tried looking at jobs for teaching the arts … working as a videographer, or at a museum or gallery.”
Instead, he focused on a different field with a “very big demand.”
As he continues with freelance gigs, Myles, who enrolled in online studies at Western Governors University in fall 2023, is pursuing a cyber security degree. He expects to graduate within two years and hopes to work as a cyber security analyst.
“There’s so many different companies out there who are looking for people to help prevent data breaches,” Myles said. “Companies don’t have the infrastructure to keep their data secure.”
Myles, who has “always been into technology,” recently built a computer with a friend “just for fun.”
The computer creation reinforced that he is on the right career trajectory.
“Maybe I am making the right decision,” Myles recalled thinking. “I didn’t really doubt it before.”
Whether it’s cyber security, photography, or graphic design, Myles envisions a future where every day he’s working with technology.
More blogs you may like to read:
- Luke Gehlhaus – Scholarship Winner
- Tyler Gehlhaus – Scholarship Winner Continues Impact of ETC Foundation
