Early this semester, Texas Tech student Kayla Crow was assigned a community humanities project in her studio lighting class. The photography major quickly realized she wanted to focus her series on the local heroes she grew up admiring. 

“I’m not a typical college student,” Crow admitted.  “I am going to be 29 this year. So most of my classmates are younger than me, but it’s nice to be able to open, not their eyes in a sense, but to show them a world that they may not have grown up in.”

Crow detailed her family’s lineage and military service all the way back to her great, great, great grandfather who fought in the civil war. Since then, her parents, uncles, cousins and brothers have or are currently serving in the military or working in public service.

“Knowing what it takes to put on that uniform day in and day out,” Crow explained. “It’s a different mentality that a lot of people don’t have or don’t understand. For me it got real personal because it was a stake for me, I had a huge stake in it, not just with myself but with my family. My whole family is called to serve one way or another and I want to honor that.” 

Crow also wears a uniform, serving in the United States Navy. 

“Every one forgets that they are people,” Crow said.  “They see the uniform, and yes when we are in uniform we hold ourselves to a higher standard, but underneath we are people. We are human and a lot of that gets overlooked. You don’t understand the sacrifice that’s required and demanded not just of the service members but their families as well.”
 
Her photography professor, Robin Germany, said she wanted her students to understand how their art can impact the people in their community. 
 
“Students need to know what is going on around them,” Germany said. “And so I thought it would be really great for the students if they could go out in the community , find out what is going on…and see how they might be able to give back in some way.”
 
Crow started her project with Officer Aaron Spann of the Lubbock Police Department. She said Spann has been a good friend for years and is not afraid of the cameras.  She shot his photos on the streets of downtown Lubbock.
 
“For that one,” Crow said. “That was more me wanting to create a mood with the image. To showcase the black and white world that they have to straddle, that they walk constantly-between their civilian life and the life they live as an officer. Which is similar to the images where I am getting them in and out of uniform, to show the humanity underneath.”
 
Crow said she was surprised by people’s reaction after she posted the photo to Facebook, seeking a few more volunteers.
 
“It exploded in a sense,” Crow said. “I was not completely expecting the support and the response I got after I put Aaron’s image up. I was expecting maybe two or three more volunteers, to at least get the count I needed for my project.”
 
There are more than 20 photos in Crow’s series. At least a dozen more than what was required for her class. She photographed police officers, firefighters, sheriff deputies and military members, retired and active duty. 
 
“I think it adds so much to the series,” Crow said. “To have military presence as well, because it is a uniform. They were called to serve just as much as anyone else, if not more sometimes.” 
 
In the future, Crow said she wants to continue the series but expand it far beyond west Texas. She said she has already received calls from New Mexico. 
 
As far as her grade, Crow turned in her project on Tuesday and said she hopes Professor Germany will give her an A. 
 
You can check out all of the photos in the Walk the Line series on Crow’s Facebook page.