He returned from the journey with a strong desire to study photography and is a recipient of the Wallace J. Hagedorn Scholarship in Photography in Kent State’s College of Communication and Information.

“I found that sharing the hurt and the problems of another country through imagery and the personal experience behind the images helped me to not only be passionate about the difficult topics but to infuse a sense of passion in those I was talking to,” Marhefka said. “As a photography major, I want to use my abilities as a photographer to create new perspectives in people around me and to aid organizations such as Destiny Rescue relay their mission and create a need for change.”

Meet Chase Brown

Chase Brown looks to make his mark someday competing as American Ninja Warrior.

Chase Brown might be a bit tough to track down on campus, that’s because he’s usually climbing, jumping or lifting something. 

At age 18, he’s still a year away from being able to compete on the NBC’s American Ninja Warrior, but he had a busy summer traveling to Las Vegas to be a tester for the show’s final competition and competing in the Ultimate Ninja Athletic Association World finals in Minnesota.

Last year, Brown ranked number one in the world for 16-17-year olds in the National Ninja League. Now, he’s moved on to the adult/pro division and has started the season ranked third in the world.