For as long as she can remember, South Country High School senior Vivienne Love has had a passion for photography. Her devotion to the art has since earned her a Scholar-Artist award in the area of Media Arts from the Long Island Arts Alliance. She is one of 20 students from across Long Island selected for the honor.

“I am so excited to be recognized for my photography,” said Love. “I think this is great and will help me with college.”

To earn the accolade, Love was required to submit an essay discussing how the arts have influenced her life, as well as a portfolio of her photography. Her submitted photographs, taken with her Canon Rebel T6, focus on the theme of youth and depict her everyday life with friends and family. The shoot was part of an Advanced Placement art class assignment.

Along with her passion for photography, Love is a member of her school’s National, Math and Science honor societies. She is also the historian of her school’s art club and designs the lighting for all of her school’s dramatic productions.

She plans to study film, radio and television in college, with a minor in environmental science. She has her sights set on an early decision from Syracuse University.

According to Love, the secret to her success is to simply jump in. “There is no easy way to start,” she said. “Just go and do it.”