A beginning photography course at Anoka-Ramsey Community College (ARCC) has bestowed more than just a simple love of photography on at least one current student. Celeste Laurin, a sophomore from Ramsey, Minn., recently won a photo contest sponsored by the Coon Rapids branch of Ritz Camera.

Laurin entered a portrait she created last fall for a Photo I class on the ARCC Coon Rapids Campus. The black-and-white photo depicts the reflected image of a serious young man gazing at a display case containing a U.S. Marine Corps uniform. Laurin said that she selected her composition to portray the high regard in which her boyfriend, the subject of the photo, holds the U.S. military.

"It says a lot about him and his love of the Marines," Laurin explained.

For her efforts, Laurin has been awarded a free 8-by-10-inch print of her photo, plus free film and a "Frequent Foto Member" card usable at the store. Laurin represents the first winner for what the store says will be a monthly contest, each with a different theme. The theme of the first monthly competition was "Reflections." Store employees served as judges for the contest.

Celeste Laurin, a sophomore at Anoka-Ramsey Community College, displays her photograph that won the first monthly photo contest sponsored by the local Ritz Camera in Coon Rapids.

Laurin gives credit for her new-found love of photography to her art instructor, ARCC faculty member Laura Migliorino.

"She pushes all her students to explore their creativity to the fullest," said Laurin. “I knew I’d like it, but I had no idea that it would be this much fun!”

Laurin said she’ll continue her photography as she’s preparing for a career as a dental hygienist. She plans to complete her pre-requisite classes at ARCC and then transfer to the dental hygiene program at Normandale Community College in Bloomington, Minn.

Anoka-Ramsey Community College, with campuses in Coon Rapids and Cambridge, has been a leading provider of higher education and training in the north suburban area of Minneapolis/St. Paul and East Central Minnesota since 1965. Annually, the college serves over 8,000 learners of all ages as they pursue associate degrees that transfer as the first two years of a bachelor's degree, or certificate programs that lead immediately to rewarding careers.