She Keeps Her World in Sharp Focus
Elizabeth Darwish was five years old when her father gave her a small digital Sony handheld camcorder.
“He wanted me to start observing and recording the world visually, the same way he did through his art.” An established oil portrait painter, her father’s work has been exhibited in galleries and community art spaces in New York City and in Europe. “Being around his studio practice and exhibitions is what really shaped my strong connection to art and to him.”
Elizabeth continues to see the world through this lens. Indeed, it is rare to see Elizabeth without her Minolta film camera, a constant companion through thick and thin.
She reflected on some of the challenges she has faced over the last several years, particularly in high school.
“High school was a never-ending tug-of-war. It was either focus on my studies or focus on paying my bills. Paying bills usually won. I worked as many as three jobs at a time.” Elizabeth withdrew from Bayside High School in 2022. “I only had 14 credits by the time I was a senior and needed 41 to graduate. I was basically a freshman.”
Things started to turn around after Elizabeth met her partner and friend, Sophia.
“Sophia knew I was down about dropping out and encouraged me to take the GED. She knew I could do it and I proved her right!” Elizabeth passed the GED in July of 2023 with a high score of 190 which qualified her as college ready and earned her a college credit.
She began to focus on a future that was now within reach.
That future was discovered at Queensborough.
Elizabeth enrolled in the spring 2024 semester as a Business Administration major. She applied and was accepted the following fall to ASAP (Accelerated Study in Associate Programs). “ASAP is very personalized and that’s what makes the difference. Meeting with my advisor on a regular basis kept me focused and confident about my course direction.”
Elizabeth followed her academic path right onto the Dean’s list for four consecutive semesters. She is the recipient of several prestigious scholarships under the Point Foundation, the LGBTQ+ and Ally Scholarship Fund, namely, the 2024 Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) Scholarship, the 2025-26 and the Wells Fargo Community College Scholarship. Last spring Elizabeth was awarded a 2025 Association of Indians in America Scholarship. Additionally, she was awarded a 2025 QCC Merit Scholarship.
Elizabeth brings her expertise in film and digital photography to her role as a workstudy intern in the Division of Strategic Initiatives & Advancement where she has assisted covering events and taking portrait photos since the spring of 2025. Elizabeth will graduate from Queensborough in the spring of 2026 with an associate in science (A.S.) degree in Business Administration and plans to complete her bachelor’s degree at a CUNY college.
Elizabeth is also active as the Founder and Director of FilmForUs, a non-profit that provides free film photography education and professional headshots to underserved communities.
“What I want to provide and share through FilmForUs is a direct reflection of what QCC offers me in the way of accessibility, support and values. My graduation is only a few months away, but QCC is forever.
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