“How does a pig move that fast?” 

Junior Elizabeth Mendiola chuckled to herself, lowering her Canon Rebel T7. 

That pig was fast. Enough to send her photography teacher Leigh Anne Treistman diving behind her in fear.  

Elizabeth laughed harder. 

Her first professional photoshoot and the model was a literal pig.  

Specifically, Shelby Gorman’s Hampshire swine, who, after catching glimpse of another pig, zoomed across the Conroe ISD Ag Barn. 

That was until Shelby unleashed the holy grail of pig-catching weapons: a fat, fluffy marshmallow. 

Sure, Smalls was fast before, but he outpaced himself running toward that gooey goodness. 

While Smalls scarfed up the marshmallow, Elizabeth snapped photo after photo.

 In that moment she realized: She is a real photographer in the real world with a real client. 

“Having an actual person, which you have no clue who it is, is a lot more challenging than just schoolwork; but helps with communication skills and learning how to handle real experience, like the pig,” Elizabeth said. “It gives me the experience and the ability to say that I have done these things before. More than what the stuff in a classroom does.”  

Elizabeth took part in the career and technology education department’s third-annual Winter Catalog as part of the commercial photography program. The catalog provided goods and services offered by CTE class students to the community. This year, commercial photography offered family photoshoot services at $35 flat under Treistman 

“That field experience is really important, and it allows kids to do things that they might not be able to do anywhere else,” Treistman said. “With Elizabeth (for example), a pig is not going to pose like a human does, and so the fact she got field experience that’s really different, really unique compared to other models. Her photos were stunning.”  

*****

Elizabeth has loved photography for as long as she could press a button on the iPhone camera app. And for as long as she could press that button, her sister, Mayrani Mendiola, was her model. 

Whether it was taking a photo of Mayrani, the sunset or a random object, Mayrani saw the smile that Elizabeth wore. 

That smile vanished at 10 years old, when Elizabeth’s grandfather died. 

Elizabeth was silent for days.  

Mayrani wanted to somehow help, but Elizabeth was a stone wall. Then an idea hit her. 

“Hey Elizabeth, want to come take some photos of me?” 

The sisters walked to Carl Barton Park down the road. The golden light from the afternoon sun beamed almost as bright as Mayrani’s smile, which Elizabeth tried her best to capture.  

Whether or not she succeeded, Elizabeth felt something other than grief for the first time since her grandfather’s death. 

 “Although I missed him so much, it wasn’t taking over my brain anymore.” Elizabeth said. “In my mind I was saying ‘I got to make him proud of me,’ and it made me want to try harder and get good photos.” 

While she’s always loved taking photos, she had no clue how. 

Reaching high school, she had the opportunity to learn the basics from journalism teacher Stephen Green. She enjoyed the journalism aspect of the class, but her true love was for portraiture in Digital Media. 

Reaching high school, she had the opportunity to learn the basics from journalism teacher Stephen Green. She enjoyed the journalism aspect of the class, but her true love was for portraiture in Digital Media. 

Reaching the end of her first year, her world split: she had to decide: journalism or commercial.  

She spent the rest of that year debating, and frankly, never decided. Anything else was ungratifying; she signed up for both. 

 “It was a hard (choice),” Elizabeth said. “I mean I liked both. (In journalism) the action is really fun and I get to take cool shots. But, with portraits, I get to show creativity and think about the art and control the different lighting and stuff. It gives me a challenge to think more.” 

Elizabeth’s peers describe her as a quiet student, even just one word out of her was rare. 

Every chance Treistman got, she chipped away at the silence; for every piece of advice she gave, she got a little of Elizabeth in return.  

By the end of the year, they were as close as family. 

“She brings very good energy, she’s always joyful,” Elizabeth said. “She’s helped me out a lot in improving my photos and figuring out what I want to do after school. I know I can reach out to her whenever I need advice, that’s what she told me.” 

 By May, Elizabeth knew the commercial photography industry was her home. 

While Her mom and sister welcomed this, her dad did not. 

*****

She’d always been daddy’s girl, always tagging along at his ankles.  As she grew older though she noticed a different side of her dad. 

 A side of shouting, judging and disapproval. It was going to be a challenge telling her dad she wanted to take pictures for a living; he hardly considered it one. 

Elizabeth knew it had to be done sooner than later; she walked into the garage with one goal in mind: to get her message across.

“Porque quieres ser fotógrafa? Eso nos es una profesión y no vas a ganar nada, mejor ponte a estudias medicina,” he said.  

Elizabeth stood her ground with some struggle. Her eyes averted his, instead looking at else. Anything to distract herself from the welling tears.  

“You’re going to be wasting your time,” he said. “Get into nursing instead.”  

The tears came but she had to hide them. Elizabeth turned around and walked away, and just as she did, the tears rushed out.  

*****

Elizabeth didn’t know it, but her effort would soon be recognized. 

This was the first after three years of planning CTE Department Chair Jessica Smith submitted to the bragging rights edition of the Texas School Business magazine – an annual publication recognizing 12 district programs in Texas – and she nailed it. She says this award is a long-overdue, formal recognition of the hard work students put in every day.

“It takes a lot (to run something like this), and it should be celebrated, representing all the CTE students,” Smith said. “This recognition validates the class. It validates the skills that we’re learning. Becoming an expert, employable person before you graduate gives you options, and it has shown you what dedication these students commit.” 

Treistman highlights said student success roots beyond student dedication, but how their proctor fosters it. 

“I promise you every kid we have in our program right now has a skill and a gift that they’re really strong at,” Treistman said. “To put themselves out there and say, ‘This is what I know how to do,’ and then craft their own, their own pathway for the things that they love, that’s what I was here for. They know that they can always reach out to me whenever they need.” 

Treistman’s taught for 23 years, four years ago she pioneered the commercial photography class. Earlier this semester she announced her retirement. While sad to go, she’s happy to leave the district with an award to remember.  

Elizabeth, on the other hand, when asked about the award, all she had to say was “What?” 

“I didn’t even know that we got this, it’s actually a good surprise” Elizabeth said. “It feels good; to have helped add to the (catalog) and honestly it helped me more (than I helped it). Working with hands-on experience in the real world forced me to get experience and get better photos. My example: Even if you’re afraid of messing up, (hands-on) experience makes you grow more than anything else can.”