Disney World, SeaWorld, Universal Studios; Orlando, Fla. is host to all of these attractions, but there is more to the city than resorts and roller coasters. Last week I accompanied two other staff editors to the National College Media Convention (NCMC) that was held in Orlando this year. Sounds like a pretty sweet vacation, right? Well, we spent most of our days attending various classes, lectures and demonstrations and our nights getting together to share all the things we learned. Let me tell you, I learned a lot, but just like with anything else, there is only so much you can learn from taking notes. There comes that point where you have to challenge yourself to get up, go out and do something. For me, that trial came from an on-site photo competition.

The competition is a staple of the convention. Only 50 participants would be eligible for entry, and fewer than that actually made it to the selection meeting. I’m happy to have made the cut and to be one of the 23 who were able to complete the task in the allotted time. I would like to extend my congratulations to the first and second place “class favorites,” Christopher Correa-Ortega from Valencia College and Ashton Bowles of Pepperdine University. I am sad to say that I did not win; sad, but not ashamed. I learned a heck of a lot in the process, and it has only encouraged me to try harder.

The task seemed easy enough: document an aspect of Orlando that we, the photographers, find beautiful; something that documents the lives of people in Orlando. Now what? With less than 48 hours to roam a city that I had never formally visited before, how was I supposed to know where to find that winning photograph? So I hopped on a trolley, Orlando’s famous I-RIDE, and went on an adventure.

What I found was that it was not just the allure of the theme parks and resorts that spelled out the theme of the city. Like any town, what’s really important are the citizens who work to support themselves and, in turn, support the city.

One of the people I photographed was Los Roque, a worker at the Pizzaria Valdiano in downtown Orlando. Roque has been working at restaurants for fourteen years, is a proud father of two and wants to start up his own marketing business. It’s funny how you can ask someone a couple of questions and feel a connection to their entire background.

Now while I may not have won the competition, I learned a lot about photojournalism, and that is ultimately what the convention was intended for. I also know things that I need to practice and work on and can pass some of that knowledge on to the rest of my staff. All I have left to say is I enjoyed my time in Orlando and I would love to go back, I have so much more to learn. Also, I wouldn’t mind a rematch in the photography competition.