Project #3 - Obituary

Erin LaRae Sundvall, Photographer and Entrepreneur, dies at 75Published: April 15, 2066

Erin Sundvall, an established photographer for National Geographic and well known contributor to new age advertising, died on Wednesday in the home she and her husband, world famous photojournalist Massimo Bassano, bought in 2022 in Cinque Terre, Italy. She was 75.

The cause was a heart attack, said her sister, Kayla Sundvall. 

  

Erin Sundvall with her first camera given
to her for a graduation gift from her parents,
Tony and Sara Sundvall of Bemidji, Minn.
Age 23.

  Ms. Sundvall, who was honored with the Crain’s Best Place to Work in New York City award for her privately owned advertising and marketing firm, has always been given the title of mother hen by her pervious employees.  “Erin was always there for me and the other employees,” said Sundvall’s sister, Kayla. “She was the greatest boss I could have ever asked for.”  

  Along with her advertising success, Ms. Sundvall spent most of her career traveling the world as a photographer for National Geographic magazine.  She took fifteen covers for the magazine and gained respect from her co-workers and the lives she touched while traveling abroad.

  Bemidji State University is where the ideas and drive first started.  “She absolutely loved her mass media and society class,” said Sundvall’s cousin, Amy Larson.  “After the first semester of her sophomore year of college she knew exactly what she wanted to achieve.” After graduating with honors, a successful run as photographer for the Bemidji State University Northern Student and a bachelor of science in marketing communications, Ms. Sundvall landed an entry level photography job with National Geographic.  Her participation in the Eurospring program through Bemidji State University “changed her outlook on life and wanted to learn more about how other cultures work,” said Sundvall’s sister, Kayla. 

Ms. Sundvall’s first photo collection came from Morocco.  She spent eleven days around the city of Marrakech.  Her collection of photos from this trip made her first National Geographic cover in July of 2015.  On this trip she met her future husband, Massimo Bassano, an Italian photojournalist who was the leader of her expedition.  They were married in December of 2020.  They worked alongside each other until Mrs. Sundvall resigned in 2026.

Ms. Sundvall’s knowledge obtained by traveling abroad was the foundation of Global Persona, her advertising and marketing firm that was founded in New York City.  The focus of the company was marketing American goods in foreign cultures. She is well known for the company winning the Crain’s Best Place to Work in New York City in 2032.  She accepted the honor with her husband Massimo Bassano. The company has since been taken over by Ms. Sundvall’s sister and long time employee, Kayla Sundvall.

Erin LaRae Sundvall was born on April 28, 1991, to a boiler mechanic in Bemidji, Minn. She is survived by her husband, Massimo; and a sister, Kayla Sundvall of Minneapolis, Minn.

Letter to the Editor - NY Times

TO THE EDITOR:

What would the world’s Internet users do without Google search engine or YouTube?  Giving out information on Google’s electricity use should not be considered “embarrassing.”  A significant amount of energy needs to be used in order for every Internet user to be able to use a cell phone or laptop for their everyday questions and searches.

Users of the Internet are probably not aware that a typical person uses enough watts that “are equivalent of running a 60-watt light bulb for three hours.” Google should be applauded for this acknowledgment and for the steps they have made to make their electricity use more green-friendly. Modern technology is used all over the world at all times of the day and night.  Instead of looking down on Google, Internet users and green supporters should ask themselves this; “How many times do I click the Google Search button?” 

ERIN SUNDVALL
Bemidji,Minn., Sept. 9,2011

Ten Days Spent in Poverty

My volunteer experience in Juarez, Mexico, that changed my outlook on life.

A street in Juarez, Mexico, that is very similar
to the street that I lived on for ten days.
Picture taken from James Florio's personal blog and photography page.
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Juarez+Mexico&view=detail&id=969622EAFE2FDD038F68942ECB6ECE59E1F93F99&first=0&FORM=IDFRIR

The best job I have ever had was in the summer of 2005.  I had just gotten confirmed at Calvary Lutheran Church, my childhood church, the previous fall and signed up to participate in a mission trip to Juarez, Mexico.  The year I decided to go was the first and only mission trip thus far that has traveled out of the country.  There was some skepticism from my family and friends at first, but it turned out to be one of the best decisions that I have ever made.  My best friend that i have went to school with since elementary school, Kacey Malterud, came with me on this trip.

Juarez is a city of 1.5 million and lies very close to the United States border.  I stayed in a rundown church that is owned and operated by a company called Youth Works.  the church is only a couple miles away from the border.  Inside the church there are bunks made of boards where I slept.  there is also a huge kitchen and a sanctuary in the basement of the building.  Outside of the church there were houses made of sticks and did not have roofs.  Children often ran in the streets barefoot with puffed out stomachs due to malnutrition.  I attempted to play soccer with them frequently, the usual response was laughter and calling me a "loco gringo".  A correct English translation would be crazy foreigner.  

One of the responsibilities that i had during the mission trip was to help run the American equivalent of a summer Bible school.  Every morning I woke up at around six a.m. to get supplies ready, plan and organize a small skit or song to teach and sing to the children.  Throughout the day I played with the local children, took them to the park, colored with them and taught one of the young boys names Jorge how to say, "What's up?" in English.  The language barrier was almost nonexistent; body language and smiles were how I communicated.  My day ended at around five or six in the evening.  I was in bed fast asleep by eight or nine p.m..  

The second project that I participated in during my mission trip was helping build a small school ina downtown area of Juarez.  My friend Kacey and I were in the same group for this project.  Our group made our own concrete (that means mixing all ingredients together with a  shovel, not a machine) and helped construct the first half of a wall to that school.  It was hard working in extreme heat (around 102 degrees.)  Good humor and positive attitudes made this project and working as a team much easier.  Working on this project was very rewarding because of a family that made my work group a home cooked meal voluntarily and welcomed us into their home.  That meal was my favorite evening that I had the entire trip.  

My mission trip to Juarez, Mexico, taught me that volunteering can be just as rewarding as getting a paycheck.  The memories that I have from that trip will never leave my mind.  the trip also made me more appreciative for the luxuries that I have in life.  simple things like food, shelter, education and a family that loves and cares about me are not as common in other parts of the world.  I was very thankful when I stepped off the bus and saw my whole family waiting for me. Not to mention when i arrived home and had a comfortable bed and a lot of food on the table.  This is why my mission trip was the very best job I have ever had.