RIT storytellers capture the heart and hustle of Special Olympics athletes

Caitlyn Daproza ’26 (photojournalism) surveys Rochester’s downtown convention center, mapping out where she will station photographers for that evening’s opening ceremonies of the Special Olympics New York Winter Games. 

She also takes time to appreciate a fresh layer of snow that touched the region the night before. The snowfall enhanced conditions for the winter athletes and doubled as a quintessential backdrop for a large contingent of RIT storytellers covering the Games, held Feb. 21-22 in various Rochester-area locations. 

With guidance from eight faculty and 13 alumni, more than 65 RIT students documented the spirited stories of the athletes who competed in the Special Olympics New York Winter Games. 

The students’ coverage was compiled — in photos, video, and words — on a website marking RIT’s continued collaboration with Special Olympics New York. 

The participating students were from RIT’s School of Photographic Arts and Sciences, School of Design, School of Film and Animation, Saunders College of Business, Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences, School of Individualized Study, and College of Liberal Arts.  

“Everyone has different skill sets and we all brought that to the table to make something amazing,” Daproza said. “It’s empowering when you come up with a deliverable that tells a great story.”

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Natania Krebs '28

The figure skating competition took place at Rochester's Tim Hortons Iceplex.

Fueled by the energy boost of working on deadline, Daproza was a team leader for opening ceremonies coverage. She coordinated and scheduled the roles of 20 assigned photographers and editors. 

Daproza said it was a didactic experience that simulated a fast-paced newsroom environment. She is now preparing for another opportunity with Special Olympics, as a remote photo editor for the World Games in Turin, Italy, March 8-15.

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Nora Babbitt '28

An athlete competes in the cross country skiing competition.

“It was invaluable,” Daproza said. “Managing a team is not something you can really know how to do unless you do it. So much of what the photo program does is to learn by doing. A lot of working on huge events like this is learning how to make quick changes due to outside things you can’t control happening. I had to do that.”

The students covered the sporting events — alpine skiing and snowboarding, cross country skiing, figure skating, floorball, gymnastics, and snowshoeing — the opening and closing ceremonies, and a community favorite, the polar plunge fundraiser.

RIT’s School of Photographic Arts and Sciences first partnered with Special Olympics New York on this project in 2018, a relationship that lasted the Games’ three-year run in Rochester through 2020. This year’s return to the region initiated another three-year commitment by RIT to shine a spotlight on the dedication and passion of Special Olympics athletes.

Associate Professors Josh Meltzer and Jenn Poggi, undergraduate program director of photojournalism, are the faculty organizers who initially started the multidisciplinary initiative.

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Natasha Kaiser '26

Athletes bonded over a game of cornhole prior to opening ceremonies.

Max Conway ’25 (marketing) was the social media lead, spearheading the generation of creative content for live coverage on the Special Olympics New York Instagram and TikTok accounts. 

He has a similar multimedia role with RIT Athletic Communications. Coupled with a minor in photography, he has leveraged both to inject creativity into his marketing skill set. 

“When I’m doing something like social media, I understand, compositionally, what makes a good photo but also how to make a post that people care about,” he said. “I think those are two slightly different things so bringing them together is important.”

Toward the end of the final day, Conway captured an emotional moment on video following the gymnastics competition that illustrated the essence of the event.

“Two athletes shared a big hug and they immediately started weeping like, ‘You did it! You did it!’ I was trying to get the photo, but I was tearing up a little bit,” Conway said with a smile. “To get that medal and to work so hard and for all of it to come to fruition, it’s bigger than ourselves. I cover a lot of other sports, but this had more meaning.”

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Rebecca Villagracia '26

Mittsy, one of the mascot of the Rochester Red Wings Triple-A baseball team, interacts with an athlete during opening ceremonies.