Haley Gray: Connecting Campus and Capturing Memories

When Haley Gray got her first camera in 2024, everything suddenly clicked.

"I started taking photos of events, and it was a great outlet to put myself out there, and take photos of things that weren't being taken," Haley said. "I noticed how my camera could take me all across campus."

Now, the senior Communications major can be found snapping photos for events organized by the Student Government Association (SGA), the Student Activities Organization (SAO), SFU Greek Life, SFU Athletics, and more. She is exploring opportunities, discovering new passions, preserving posterity, and building a business - all from behind the lens.

Finding Focus

Just a year earlier, Haley had started as a freshman Chemistry and Pre-Pharmacy major at Saint Francis University, but she had quickly realized that a career as a pharmacist wasn't her path. As she searched for her purpose, her love for social media and her passion for photography helped her find her way to Communications. She fell in love.

Haley's penchant for documenting life through photos and videos posted to social media has opened the door to her future, and the opportunities she has found at Saint Francis have handed her the key to success.

In December 2025, Haley was approached by her friend Megan Marlin, a member of the women's water polo team, about managing the team's social media accounts. After discussions between her professors in the Communications Department and those in University Athletics, they were able to create an internship just for Haley - one that would combine her passions, utilize her skills, and give her hands-on, real-world experience before she graduates this May.

As Sports Media Intern for SFU Athletics, she is responsible for running the Women's Water Polo Instagram and X accounts, writing and sharing all the team's post-game stories, and taking team photos. Although she did not know much about the sport before beginning her internship, the team is always eager to explain to Haley the terminology and game play of water polo, helping her to feel confident and competent in her work.

"It's not exactly what I expected to be doing right now, but it has opened my eyes to a new experience," Haley said, adding that she could see herself going into the field of sports media post-graduation, something she had never considered before.

Developing a Career

For Haley, photography isn't just a hobby - it's a career. She has been building her business, highlightz x haley, since 2024.

Open to new clients and new ideas, she has already made a name for herself locally. She has booked senior portrait and family photo shoots, captured area high school sporting events, and has been hired to photograph happenings all over campus. She has also shot photos for the Troubadour, SFU's student newspaper.

"Friends would ask me to take photos for them, and I realized that it's a career opportunity," Haley said, noting that anytime her photos are used on social media, her business account is always tagged or linked.

Even as she transitions into the University's MBA program next fall, Haley will keep her photography business as a side hustle while she continues to figure things out.

"I like the idea of being my own businesswoman, my own boss," Haley said. "But I'm interested in sports media too. Whatever my career path is, I do want it to involve photography."

Capturing the Moment

While her calling is Communications and her passion is photography, Haley has spent her time at Saint Francis finding new ways to foster both. She has integrated herself into the campus community and has embraced the college experience, making a point to capture the memories for the sake of posterity.

Haley has served as the Public Relations chair for SAO and still serves in the same role for SGA. She has also managed the social media pages for numerous departments and organizations on campus, including the Office of Admissions. She has been involved with Greek Life and still supports fundraising efforts whenever she can.

Currently, she is also a part of the SFU's Sports Media Crew, operating video cameras at Athletics events for NEC livestreams. This includes post-game interviews for men's basketball, and she can be seen courtside taking photos at many Red Flash events.

At Saint Francis, Haley has merged her passion and her career path; she has transformed her hobbies into her future goals; and she has combined hard work and hands-on experiences to find success.

"I knew opportunities would find me when I started putting myself out there," Haley said. "In Communications, it's the things you do outside of the classroom that really matter."

The Power of "And"

At Saint Francis University, we encourage our students to embrace the power of "and." Every new skill, talent, and challenge they explore here under our guidance builds a foundation for something greater. It's through blending passions, disciplines, and experiences that they become that someone they are uniquely called to be.