Although the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) magazine Melissa Engle ’05 photographs for is called A Common Place, her first job is anything but common. In the 18 months since she graduated from Messiah with a studio art major, Engle has traveled throughout the U.S and visited many countries including Tanzania, Kenya, Syria, Lebanon, and Rwanda—meeting, getting to know, and photographing captivating people in their own environments.

During her Messiah College experience, Engle studied at the Philadelphia Campus, in Ecuador, and in Spain, and she traveled to Venezuela for a spring break service trip—cross-cultural experiences which helped her “to develop a passion for people of different cultures.”

“I hope that my images can move people to action,” Engle says, “whether they decide they want to give financially, or serve, or pray. I am blessed by the opportunities that God has given me to travel and I hope that he can use my eyes and my photography to help and support those who are in need. I hope to portray people with dignity and respect and tell their stories visually so that when people read the magazine they are able to connect with the lives of others and hopefully understand more about the places these people live.”

—Susan K. Getty '84