Q: WHAT ARE YOU HOLDING IN YOUR PHOTO AND WHY IS IT SIGNIFICANT?
A: I would bring a camera because photography has always been a big part of my life, having put my focus on it since I was younger. It has always been a passion for me, and now it is a staple of who I am in high school because of Publisher’s Workshop. People see me at school events or simply in the halls asking me if I’m photographing whatever big thing is happening at that moment, or that week. I put a lot of my heart and overall energy into my photography because it makes people smile, and my goal in life is to touch people, help them find their inner happiness, and just about make them feel good. That life goal follows through with Girl Scouts, as that is why I try to do with my work as a Girl Scout of 9 years. I take my projects to a whole new level, creating a children’s resource center at the hospital my mom was treated at because the waiting room there wasn’t very suitable for kids for my Silver Award, and making an interactive children’s grief program based on Sheryl Sandberg’s Option B for my Gold Award. Both these items stand for what I live by and for, and they are both very important to me, especially at this point in my life.

My camera has shaped my personality in very important ways, as has my Girl Scout uniform. Holding a camera in my hand and wearing my Girl Scout uniform opens my eyes to make me see the bigger picture of life, different perspectives on things, and more positivity through all the negativity in life. Both these things make me happy, and they also make other people happy through my photos, projects, and just my work in general.

Q: WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN YOUR LIFE THAT SETS YOU APART FROM YOUR PEERS?
A: On 13 May 2015, when I was merely 13 years old, my mom passed away from breast cancer. I had to grow up at a younger age than most of my peers in order to live the best life I could in a now single parent household. While the loss of my mother was a heartbreaking experience, it has helped me become a better and stronger person. After she passed away, I decided to continue helping others and to honor her memory. I volunteered a lot with the American Cancer Society through Relay for Life and Making Strides. I also discovered my resilience and honored her through my work as a Girl Scout with my Silver and Gold Award Projects. I volunteered as a counselor at the bereavement camp I was a camper at years prior, made videos with the CEO of the grief counselling place I used to go to, and helped many people both online and in person through their grief journeys. I also have struggled with being diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease, which caused me to miss a lot of school my sophomore year because of how sick I was, and I’ve had to struggle with mental disabilities since I was in elementary school. Despite these obstacles, I have been able to embrace life and shoot for the stars.

Q: WHAT TYPES OF ACTIVITIES/ SPORTS/ EXTRACURRICULARS DO YOU PARTICIPATE IN?
A: I have been playing piano since I was 3 years old. I have also been playing clarinet since 5th grade, and I am currently a first clarinetist in Concert Band at EBHS. This year I am living out my childhood dream of playing clarinet in the Pit Orchestra for the spring musical “Guys and Dolls”. I’ve been a part of Girl Scouts since 3rd grade, and I am an Outward Bound alumni after having done a week long expedition with them in Philly through my grief counselling facility. At EBHS, I play on the Varsity Girls Golf team, and this year will be my fourth season, I am on the exec. board for Folio, I am a member of GASP, and I am a part of Publisher’s Workshop. Outside of school, I volunteer and practice golf with the First Tee, and I continue my focus in photography.

Q: WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR THE FUTURE?
A: For my future, I hope to go to college to study humanities/anthropology and minor in photography. I strive to continue my goals of giving back, making a difference in the world, positively impacting people, and spreading smiles and happiness. I want to work at a non-profit organization in order to do so.

Q: IF MONEY WERE NOT A CONCERN, WHAT WOULD YOUR FUTURE BE LIKE?
A: I would like to travel the world, meet new people, spread lots of smiles, and take lots of photos. I like adventures and helping people in any way I can, and I would love to do that all over the world if I could.

Q: HOW DO YOU SEE YOUR ROLE IN THE WORLD?
A: I think though I am one very small human being, I have a role in the world just like everybody else. Maybe not as big as others, but every action makes an impact, no matter how big or how small. Everyday I hope that I can spread smiles and happiness to the people around me, and inspire them with my story and my resilience. With the children’s grief program I created for my Girl Scout Gold Award project, based off of Facebook COO, Sheryl Sandberg’s book, Option B, I saw just how much I was able to touch the kids at Camp Clover (the bereavement camp I used to attend as a camper and am now a volunteer counselor at) through my teachings. The smiles on their faces and how I was able to encourage them to open up about things when they would normally keep quiet was very inspiring to me as my words were inspiring to them. From the article I wrote at Sandberg’s request for OptionB.org, the response from people about it also showed me just how impactful my words and story can be, just like the videos I’ve made with Joe Primo, the CEO of Good Grief (the grief counselling facility I used to go to) did. Being a Girl Scout and an advocate for grief and breast cancer awareness has shown me how powerful my voice is and how I am also a leader. Furthermore, my expedition along the Delaware Water Gap with Outward Bound in the summer of 2017 and my journey with Crohn’s Disease and other illnesses unveiled truly how strong I can be. All of that, everything I’ve experienced so far in my life, and turning my passion of photography into something more through the Publisher’s Workshop course has also shown me how I am able to spread joy and connect with others is so many different ways. In the end, I see that my role in the world is to be a leader, be inspiring, spread joy and smiles, be empathetic and compassionate to those around me, and continue to be the strong, resilient, young woman I have grown to be through my journey on this beautiful planet we call Earth. I hope to do just that and more after going to college for Humanities/Anthropology and photography.