By Beth Wolfson
Ryan Meehan was on a train in London while studying abroad in the summer of 2005 when an announcement came over the speaker that there were plans to bomb the train. Chaos ensued as riders were evacuated from the train.
Meehan, a Goshen, N.Y. native pursuing photojournalism at Boston University, stayed calm, refusing to move as he reached for his camera. As he clicked the button, “memory card full” blinked on his screen.
“I was disappointed, but it taught me to always be prepared,” Meehan said.
Meehan’s mother, Fern Tjornhom, 50, was not surprised that her son ran toward potential danger. “Where there’s danger, he will be there,” she said. “He’s got to be in it.”
Nearly three years later, Meehan, now age 22 and a senior, is preparing to graduate with a degree in photojournalism and a degree in psychology and philosophy.
“I’ve taken classes every summer to be able to graduate on time,” he said. Jo 308 is another requirement he must meet to graduate in May.
Meehan began college as a psychology major but always loved photography. “I didn’t think I could make a living out of it, but everyone kept telling me to do what I love,” he said. It was after London he decided to add photojournalism to his list of majors. He calls his experience in London “an inspirational time for my career. That’s what I want to do: travel and take pictures,” he said.
His mother is happy to see her son pursue a photography career.
“My dad was a photographer. I was, and now he is taking it to a new level. It’s great. He’s just so talented,” she said.
Meehan would love a job taking pictures for National Geographic, the NY TIMES or Mediastorm.org. In the mean time, he is interviewing for jobs in Boston and N.Y.C., hoping to find an opportunity that will lead him to his dream job.
His girlfriend Zara Zuckerman, 22, of New York City, remembers when Meehan started on his photography path when he signed up for a class in high school. “He got really into it and made a really cool snowboarding video,” she said. “He’s very, very creative.”