I have always had an interest in fashion and working with people, so transitioning into a fast-paced world wasn't too daunting. My mom and dad were notorious travelers, my mother, a Syracuse graduate who pursued overseas missionary work and my father, a Duke and Harvard graduate who left his prestigious career to teach and mentor pastors in Kenya, Malawi, and Nigeria. I grew up traveling the world and promised myself to continue to do so. Growing up with parents who served others, would greatly impact and inspire me later in my adulthood.
In Connecticut, I grew up near a beautiful area called Fisher Meadows where everything began. I started photographing friends because my dad gave me a camera to take pictures of 'the good times' while my mom was passing from brain cancer. On accident, I discovered I had a real gift. As I grew my portfolio, I was encouraged by my high school art teacher to take my work more seriously and work with professional models. I had access to the wonders of New York City, so I began networking using Instagram and worked with models during New York Fashion Week. At 17, I began photographing with model Alysha Nett in Los Angeles and model Mariano Di Vaio in Florence, Italy. These two shoots affirmed my skill and I started photographing with tour dancers for Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, and Rihanna. At 18, I enrolled at Parsons School of Design and pursued photography for one year before choosing to prioritize my career that had already taken off. Actors include Kyla Pratt (Disney Channel), Daniel Franzese (Mean Girls), Tania Raymonde (Jodi Arias: Dirty Little Secret (2013)), Thomas Sanders (YouTuber), and more. I filmed and directed a plethora of music videos too.
In 2015, I became disenchanted by the industry and moved to Montana without knowing anyone. I enrolled at Montana State University to study elementary education and fell in love with the mountains and lakes. I transitioned to secondary education and ultimately graduated from the English department with honors. My new community was filled with rodeo kings, third generation farmers, true adventure seekers, and not a single person who cared about your family's wealth or valued success based on how high a ladder you climbed. A couple times a year, I would invest time in my photography work but that continued to reduce significantly.
In 2019, I graduated and moved to Charleston, SC to work for the Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure, the nation's only infrastructure thinktank. Working for this educational nonprofit inspired me to think outside the box even more and propagated my interest in the United States military. Going into the U.S. Navy was single-handedly, the greatest decision I ever made. I believe that everybody should have that experience in order to learn how to put aside their bias, work with people from different walks of life, and understand what it means to prioritize the needs of others before your own.
This is the only online area for viewing my work. All videos are set to private for portfolio purposes only. This year I decided that leaving social media was non-negotiable.
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Andrew Jefferis currently serves as the Media Coordinator for the Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure (Aii), overseeing all aspects of Aii’s communications, graphic/content design, and public outreach. In this role, he fashions various media campaigns and devises innovative ways to connect with the public, elected officials, and industry leaders on topics ranging from infrastructure and technology to public policy issues. From digital marketing to public outreach, Andrew translates policy into a readable format.
This year, he re-designed the entire organization website on Wordpress (Aii.org), implemented new pages, created a virtual learning center with original curriculum for students and teachers from Pre-K to 12th grade, and led annual campaigns. He also produced and edited over 50 original videos for the Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure, leading its Modern Roots March and Energy Month campaigns, and contributed to the think tank's policy blog touching on different areas of infrastructure.
Andrew earned his Bachelors in English Writing from Montana State University and will be graduating with a Master of Education from Boston College in May 2024. In 2021, he served in the United States Navy as a Quartermaster to discover new perspective and utilize his leadership skills in a different way.
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