While athletes are usually the ones that share the spotlight amongst themselves, many others contribute to athletics without directly competing. Even though they might not get the same recognition as the players, these people are equally as important for athletics to stay afloat.
Karlee Sell has been working for athletics since January of 2017 as a photographer. Sell is graduating from Monmouth University this December with her BA in communication and a minor in photography.
Sell has been involved in sports ever since she was in high school at ConVal Regional High School in Peterborough, New Hampshire. “I was a member of and president of our Student Athletic Leadership Team, I played various sports, and I interned with my high school’s athletic director which got me involved with sports that I didn’t have the opportunity to play,” she said.
Sell first got into photography when she got a camera as an eighth grade graduation gift from her parents. “I brought it with me everywhere. It was through teaching myself how to take photos and finding my own style that I fell in love with it,” said Sell.
While she has loved photography ever since she got her first camera, pursuing a career in the field of photography was not always her goal, as she originally wanted to become a zoologist. “I continued to practice my photography in my travels, knowing I wanted to make that my career,” she said.
“I realized [zoology] wasn’t as fulfilling as I hoped it would be,” she continued. “My brain had a hard time understanding science and I began to dread going to school. I began to take more art courses and was able to practice photography in and out of school.”
Knowing she still wanted to work with animals after graduating high school, Sell took a gap semester and did volunteer work in New Zealand. She slept in a doghouse where she took care of 32 dogs, and from there, went on to Ireland where she would help take care of horses.
She did not really even know she was going to pursue a career in Athletics until she came to Monmouth. Sell noticed there was a work-study available as a Sports Photographer and she emailed her now supervisor Mark Mohrman. He responded right away and asked to interview her. He then hired her on the spot and asked her to come to the Men’s basketball game. “That Men’s Basketball game was the first and last game I attended where I was simply a spectator. The next day I photographed a Women’s Basketball game and was the photographer ever since,” said Sell.
Sell’s favorite sports to cover at Monmouth are baseball and football. Baseball is Sell’s favorite sport and she has a good relationship with the coaches and players of the baseball team. She also loves football due to the “indescribable” energy at Kessler Field.
Sell has put a lot of dedication into her time as the Sports Photographer of Monmouth Athletics. Gregory Viscomi, Associate Athletics Director for New Media and Communications, said, “Karlee has been an integral part of our team since joining us a few years ago. She has attended hundreds of events, in all kinds of weather and all times of day and night. In today’s world of multimedia, having top-notch images for our website and social media accounts is key, and Karlee has been a huge part of that.
After her time at Monmouth, Karlee has an internship lined up with the Cape Cod Baseball League in 2021. She is also actively looking for a more permanent position.
PHOTO COURTESY of Nick Grant
