As soon as she blew out ten precisely placed candles, Morgan Tencza opened the start of her future. She may have gotten some notable gifts that year, but it was a burnt orange 10.2-megapixel digital camera that really struck a chord. She’d always loved photography, but that gift changed the game. Morgan was attached to that camera for years until photography classes in high school introduced her to DSLRs. She notes, “Ever since then, photography was more to me than a hobby but I never thought to pursue it. It wasn’t a realistic career path, however, whenever an opportunity arose for me to show my passion, I took advantage.”

Today she juggles being a student with being the photo editor of Quinnipiac Chronicle. With hopes of working with a professional sports team in the not so distant future, we’re sure Morgan Tencza will achieve those goals and then some. Check out what this budding photographer had to say about her work, representing Philly, and more.

Kendra: Was sports photography always your number one? Because it seems like so many get into this field and head towards wedding or studio work.

Morgan Tencza: It’s actually funny, I hated sports photography in high school. My favorite was portrait photo shoots where I could really get creative. Since I started taking photos of sports teams in college, I fell in love and couldn’t think of doing anything else.

Kendra: What has being the photo editor of Quinnipiac Chronicle taught you as far as how to do things from the business end and not necessarily behind the lens?

Morgan Tencza: Besides the growth in my sports photography skills, my photography editor position with The Chronicle has given me a great leadership position. I’m a part of a team that works hard every week to put out an issue to be proud of. I am in charge of photographers who are passionate and extremely talented. It’s just a great atmosphere to be a part of.

Kendra: You’re in college right now and ironically enough, you don’t major in anything that has to do with a camera. You’re working towards working for a sports team either on the PR side of it or behind the camera. With such a specific field in mind, you had to have had these plans in like junior high, right?

Morgan Tencza: Okay, this may sound crazy, but I didn’t come into college as a communications or photography major. I actually came to Quinnipiac for the physical therapy 3+3 doctorate program (B.S. in 3 years, Doctorate in 3). My original plan was to be a physical therapist for a professional sports team. My goal has always been to work in the sports field, so at least one thing is consistent.

After working for the Chronicle and realizing my passion for photography and communications meant more to me than anything I would accomplish as a PT, I knew I had to switch. Since Quinnipiac does not offer photography as a major, I went with communications with a minor in sports studies. I am not completely sure what career I am going to pursue, either sports photography or sports communications preferably. College is the time to explore my options and hopefully, internships will help me decide.

Kendra: Being such a diehard fan of Philly teams would it be a tough pill to swallow if you did get a job for a team anywhere else?

Morgan Tencza: Philadelphia has my heart and soul. I grew up 10 miles from the city and went to so many games and events with my family and friends. Obviously, if a job arises for an opposing team, I’m going to have to take it since this field is hard to get into early on. That doesn’t mean I’ll stop rooting for my Philly teams.

Kendra: What’s going on with you in the next few months?

Morgan Tencza: The next few months are going to be kind of hectic for me. Winter sports will be ending with playoffs which means traveling to important games. I’ll be busy with school work and the newspaper in addition to all the photographs I’ll be taking. After the semester ends, I’ll be heading back home to (hopefully) start an internship. My goal is to intern for a newspaper as a photographer or a communications intern for one of the sports teams. I am trying to broaden my knowledge of the communications field. So the later is my best bet, but we will have to wait and see which ones I’ll be offered!