Mrs. Molly Markland, the woman who takes pictures for the basketball and football teams (as many know her), is also an alum of our predecessor school St. Joseph’s Academy.

Before her days at St. Joseph’s, Markland attended St. Bernard’s where her love for photography began.

In the 7th grade, she began taking pictures and continued through high school.

“I like taking all kinds of pictures but really enjoy sports photography,”  said Markland. “I still have pictures I took in high school of my teammates from track meets.”

Photography is “just something I have loved for most of my life,” she said.

Other than doing photography, she is an occupational therapist and a mother of two.

Her daughter Liz graduated in 2016 and her son Nick graduated last year, but her nephews, Sam and Will Drake, still attend NDA.

When her kids were in grade school, she started taking pictures for their sporting events and would then make prints for the teammates and as thank you’s for the coaches.

She also created the yearbook at Holy Family School.

After her children left, she still had a drive to continue her work because of her nephews and the other students she made a connection with.

She is good friends with people who have students here at NDA, including social studies teacher Julie Campbell.

“I told her that as long as she does the Academy Awards, I will take pictures of it,” said Markland.

After doing the Holy Family yearbook, she realized how hard a job it is and said, “If I can help out NDA a little bit, I am happy to do so.”

And helping out is exactly what Markland does.  Her photographs have become essentials for the yearbook, the newspaper, the school media sites and so many of the athletes and Mr. NDA contestants who download from her website.

“Molly’s dedication to NDA is astounding. She beautifully captures the important moments at NDA events and athletic competitions and is willing to give of her time whenever she is asked. Molly is a dream to work with and her kindness, coupled with her photography skills, speak volumes of her dedication to NDA,” said Kimberly Uelmen, Admissions & Marketing/Communications Coordinator.

“I love that I have pictures from my life, and if I can give some of that to someone–a gift that they may still look at and appreciate many, many years from now–is pretty awesome,” she said.

Up until the previous year, Markland did not charge for her services at all.

This year she does not have a set charge for her services, but if she receives a special request to take pictures at an event she was not planning on attending, she requests donations for a Track and Field Record Board for NDA.

Even though she does not receive money herself, she has received “many, many thank you gifts over the years from parents, students and teams.”

For the last couple of years, the football team has given Markland a gift from the proceeds of their team car wash.

“Those are the thank you’s that mean the most,” she said.