Amey M. Elkins-Little, 54, of Quincy, is a part-time student taking who’s been taking classes at Kellogg Community College since 2021 while also maintaining two part-time jobs, returning to school thanks to funding from the COVID-era Futures for Frontliners scholarship.
The 1988 Sturgis High School graduate is also the recipient of several scholarships from the KCC Foundation and is working on an Associate in Applied Science in Photography and Multimedia degree and also considering the College’s new Associate in Fine Arts in Visual Arts degree, which launches this fall.
Elkins-Little is also a Phi Theta Kappa honor society student, won the Outstanding Achievement in Photography & Multimedia award in the College’s Outstanding Bruin Awards in 2024 and won awards for her work in the annual Student Art Show at KCC in 2022 and 2024.
The KCC Foundation’s scholarship application process was extremely easy to navigate, she said, helping her match to what she qualified for and sending reminders so you she didn’t miss anything as she came back to KCC to pursue her passion. She encourages others who might be interested in going back to school: Start working on your goal today.
Why did you choose your major/area of study?
I’ve loved photography since my first roll of film was developed over 30 years ago. I just couldn’t figure out how to make a living at it. My high school counselors and teachers were very adamant about choosing a career path that would be solid. So, for most of my young adult life I’d been a banker and loved it. Children came and I stepped out of work life into home life and raised my family.
After the pandemic subsided, the opportunity to return to college became a real possibility and I took it. This time I chose my passion over past recommendations and I’m excited to see what the next chapter of my life has in store.
Why did you choose to study your major specifically at KCC?
A former alumni recommended the Photography Program and encouraged me to follow my passion.
What are you doing now, and how did KCC help you on your path?
I’m still a student, working on my last three classes and looking forward to my internship. The skills and knowledge I have acquired at KCC have shown me that photography is a viable career path with opportunities and options I never knew existed.
Was your favorite part of your time at KCC, and why?
Seeing my name on the wall of the Eleanor R. and Robert A. DeVries Gallery, under the artwork in my first student show, was exciting. Seeing the Honorable Mention on that piece was exhilarating.
What’s the most interesting thing you learned at KCC?
I’ve always wanted to learn how to develop film; I did that at KCC. The darkroom is a wonderful place where time evaporates and images come to life. I could live in the darkroom; it’s absolutely magical. Without the film experience, the darkroom education and the creative process exposure, the Photography Program at KCC would not be as wonderful as it is.
What advice do you have for current or future KCC students?
A dream doesn’t become a goal until you put a date on it. Start working on your goal today.
Anything else you’d like to say?
Remember: Life is like a play; it has many acts, and it’s never too late to start a new one.
A shorter version of this article first appeared in the June 2025 edition of BruIN magazine. To read the issue online, please visit kellogg.edu/bruinmagazine.
