Amy Abang’s Story of Strength, Art, and Family

For Cape Fear Community College student Amy Abang, life has been anything but straightforward. Originally from western Colorado, Amy now calls North Carolina home, where her newfound passion for photography has earned national recognition. Recently, her powerful portrait of her son, a U.S. Marine, was selected from over 4,500 entries for publication in the 30th edition of Nota Bene, Phi Theta Kappa’s honors anthology.

Facing hardships and finding strength

As a young adult, Amy faced significant challenges, including the devastating loss of a close family member and the strain of an abusive marriage. “I didn’t know who I was as an individual,” she shared. “I felt like I needed to go on a mission to find myself.” Determined to rebuild her and her children’s lives, she moved to Hawaii with her two young sons, where she spent the next decade.

In Hawaii, Amy met her husband, and they welcomed a daughter. When her daughter was later diagnosed with autism, Amy sought better resources for her development. After returning to Colorado, she began suffering severe allergic reactions to juniper, a common plant in the area. “They told me I wouldn’t survive another spring in Colorado,” she recalled.”It felt like I was fighting to survive rather than to live.”

Starting fresh in North Carolina

That’s when one of her sons, now a U.S. Marine stationed at Camp Lejeune, invited her to visit. “The moment I landed in North Carolina, I could breathe again,” Amy said, realizing she had finally found the relief she needed. Shortly after, in the summer of 2022, Amy and her family, including her mother and father, packed up and moved to Turkey, North Carolina, a tiny town in Sampson County.

Once settled, Amy pursued her dream of becoming a radiologic technologist, an aspiration inspired by her late grandfather, an orthopedic surgeon. “I’ve always wanted to help people feel seen and understood,” she said. “Both radiography and photography require you to take pictures. One just looks a little different,” she chuckled.

Finding her passion for photography

Though radiography was her main goal, it was at CFCC that Amy stumbled upon her gift for photography. To round out her schedule, she enrolled in a photography course.

“It was just supposed to be a fun elective, but it quickly became more,” she said.

The course, taught by Art Instructor Jennifer Mace, introduced her to dramatic lighting techniques that helped her create deeply emotional images. Her first project was a powerful portrait of her son in his uniform. She set up a black backdrop in her hallway, used careful lighting, and worked to capture the strength she saw in her son. “I wanted it to feel raw and real, to capture that warrior spirit in him.”

The result was breathtaking. “When I saw that photograph, I couldn’t believe I took it,” she recalled. “It felt like a piece of him, and I came together in that moment.”

Giving back to the military through art

That portrait, selected by a national panel of judges for Nota Bene, now hangs in her son’s barracks and has resonated within the military community, with many of her son’s fellow Marines requesting their own portraits.

“I don’t charge them. It’s my way of honoring their service,” she explained. “I want to give them a piece of themselves that they can see and be proud of.”

Looking ahead, Amy hopes to enter CFCC’s radiography program while continuing her passion for photography. “I’d love to have a darkroom in my home to create images that make people feel something.”

Reflecting on her experience at CFCC, Amy shared a message for other non-traditional students.

“Age is just a mindset. Have confidence in yourself, and realize the power inside of you.”