BROOKS ALUMNA, ROBIN LORENSON, CHASES STORMS AND CAPTURES MEDIA ATTENTION

Santa Barbara, CA. – (July 31, 2008) – Brooks Institute alumna, Robin Lorenson is experiencing a whirlwind of activity during her internship with internationally-renowned, severe weather photographer Jim Reed. Lorenson's passion for storm chasing, combined with her photographic and video expertise attained at Brooks Institute, catapults Lorenson into the media's eye as quickly as a tornado sweeps across the plains.

A Kansas native, Lorenson believes chasing and photographing storms is what she was born to do. "When I was working in a bank, every time a storm would be brewing, I would want to leave work to chase and photograph the storm. The greater the possibility of a tornado… the more I wanted to be out there with a camera in my hand." Deciding to attend Brooks Institute was Lorenson's first step toward pursuing photography as a career.

Photo by Jim Reed

Lorenson's photography faculty advisor at Brooks, Bruce Burkhardt, helped her pursue the internship as well as the final session of class work simultaneously; after she assured Bruce, "…nothing was too big for me to handle; plus, everything is well planned." During the mêlée of the chase, the developing tornado, and growing risk to personal safety, Lorenson remained focused on capturing newsworthy footage. The skills and professionalism she learned at Brooks Institute and carries into the field is revealed in the footage she captured of Jim Reed running toward a tornado, with a prototype Nikon D700 in hand.

Lorenson states, "I finally realized I had been preparing for this internship for more than 10 years. At the same time, the most frightening part was in making the first call; realizing no one else was going to make it for me. Wanting to follow your passion is great; taking the risk to make it happen is better. The support and help my instructors at Brooks Institute gave me is a big part of why today I am standing in a field with a swirling mass of storm clouds overhead, knowing I am… living my dream!"

Lorenson and Reed's storm chasing experience has premiered on Good Morning America, Inside Edition, Extra, and on ABC News stations nationwide. To learn more, visit her website at www.robinlorensonphoto.com.

About Brooks Institute
Brooks Institute celebrates more than 60 years of educating students in the visual and media arts. With campuses in Santa Barbara and Ventura, California, the school offers Bachelor of Arts degrees in fields including Professional Photography, Visual Journalism, Film and Video Production, and Graphic Design, as well as a Master of Fine Arts degree in Photography. Programs vary by location. Brooks' graduates are visible nationally and internationally, working for distinguished organizations including National Geographic, The Smithsonian, Los Angeles Times and other national media outlets, including Hallmark Publishing, Cousteau Society, HBO, Kodak and other industry leaders in the visual media arts fields. Brooks Institute is a member of the Career Education Corporation (NASDAQ:CECO) network of universities, colleges and schools. For more information about Brooks Institute and the school's programs, visit www.brooks.edu, or call 805-966-3888.