Mark Wagoner is a 1977 RCC commercial photography graduate; his class was the first to go on internships, which Mark found to be influential in his career. He went to Alderman Studios where he worked with some film productions. He has always enjoyed working with movies along with the still picture.

            Reminiscing about his experience of going through the program. “I would say as a student that my full attention was on photography…  But people like Jerry Howell and Bob Heist opened a larger world to me that helped me have a point of view that looks at the larger world. The effect was to teach me how to learn and not just do enough to get by.”

Mark is still involved with the photography program, “I made connections with students but also instructors that have made a big impact on my career, I ended up working on committees and serving as an advisor to the Photo Department.”

Mark has been involved on some really cool projects such as working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the 1980’s and series of portraits of North Carolina’s most influential women in the American Indian Community. He has found himself always pushing himself and finding new ways to reinvent himself and his photographic ability. “I would say a driving force for me is about being open to change, not assuming what you did last year will be okay or good enough…”

                                                          Mark Wagoner

Story by Joshua Komer, Class of 2015

As part of the Fall Journalism class, the Photojournalism students interviewed and wrote a short profile story on a Randolph Community College Photography Program graduate. We will feature a new profile each month over the next year.