Imagine having college classes outside with the sun shining, surrounded by natural earth tones and breathtaking views.  Madeline McKain spent her final semester with Point Park in the Grand Canyon living this scene.With the help of journalism professor and Director of the Honors Program, Helen Fallon, McKain found a program to blend her schedule and interests and still receive 16 credits while studying in the Grand Canyon.“My family has traveled a lot in the U.S. I guess [my interest in traveling] sprung from that,” said McKain, who recently returned from another adventure that took her out of the U.S. and to Jamaica.From August to December of 2012, McKain earned college credits through Northern Arizona University and graduated from Point Park with a B.F.A in photography. McKain learned about natural sciences with 12 other students from all over the United States, and she said due to the small group dynamic she made a lot of great friendships. The 13 students spent most of their time out of the class room learning about the outdoors.“We were outside most of the time, doing things hands-on, back-packing and hiking,” McKain said in a phone interview Thursday afternoon.An exploration that took place during her Grand Canyon semester left an impact on McKain.  For eight days the Grand Canyon crew went on a river trip on the Colorado River.“We did volunteer work, cleaning up camp sites and vegetation removal. Our professors were with us, it was highly educational,” McKain explained, “It was by far my favorite experience.”Fallon, who has known McKain since she began at the University, spoke highly of her and her work as a traveler and photographer.“I’ve known her since day one. I’ve watched her grow and change in her focus. This all started with her interest to study abroad,” said Fallon during an interview in her office on Wednesday afternoon.Fallon played a major role in McKain’s opportunity to travel for a semester. Fallon helped McKain rework her schedule and work out the details with the University. She also helped McKain get scholarships and made sure she could graduate on time.“If I didn’t have Helen’s help, [the Grand Canyon] semester wouldn’t have happened,” McKain said.As a photography major, McKain used her knowledge and skills of photography in a new light while traveling. One of McKain’s closest friends, Camelia Montoy, a senior photojournalism major, spoke highly of McKain.“She’s one of the most driven and selfless people I know and she is a beautiful photographer,” said Montoy in the Village Park on Thursday afternoon. “She is going to set her mind to something and do it. She is professional and ambitious and lets her photography take her where she needs to go.”Montoy, also an avid traveler, said she and McKain share a passion for traveling and documentary photography.“For a photographer, traveling is essential ¾ well maybe not essential ¾ but it has shaped me as a photographer. My goals have shifted to documentary [because of traveling],” Montoy said.McKain and Montoy share the same belief: traveling is a must.“[Traveling] is something I make a point to do, I try to go somewhere different every year,” McKain said in a phone interview Thursday afternoon.McKain’s traveling seed was planted and the roots have grown deep. A recent mission trip to Jamaica for 14 weeks led McKain to start raising money to go back for the summer. For both McKain and Montoy, their passion lies in documentary photography all over the world.“I don’t want to just take pretty pictures. I want to make a difference in the world with my work. I know Madeline feels the same way, and she does it so well. She can bring people with her [on her trips] with her visual gift,” Montoy said.McKain does agree; her heart doesn’t lie in taking  “pretty pictures.” It’s in capturing raw moments to show people what else is out there.“I have a wedding photography business [on the side] that brings in money, but my passion is documentary [photography] and Jamaica,” McKain said.McKain’s advice to any traveler is to go explore.“I remember when she didn’t want to stray too far from Pittsburgh,” Fallon said. “Now I don’t know if we will ever get her back.”