This Empowered Girls / Senior Portrait Session was so fun! I’ve known Megan and her family for many years (you may recognize her from previous sessions!). Her confidence and pink hair have always been my favorite. She’s artistic, loves animals and is so smart. The three stories about MEgan we wanted to tell through this portrait session were: Story #1 She works as a kennel manager at a local veterinarian’s office and LOVES her dog, Gracie. So we wanted to get some portraits of her in her scrubs. Story #2 was capturing her in her art school sweatshirt alongside some more urban feel backdrops to accentuate her artistic passion. Story #3 was a normal portrait session is a super cute outfit (that also included a matching sweater for miss Gracie 🙂 )
What do you want to be when you grow up?
“Vet Tech, zoologist, really anything with animals. What I’m thinking of doing in college is a major in Zoology, and a minor in entomology because I love bugs. I would also love having a honey farm, not so much for the honey but for the bees because they are endangered like crazy. In entomology they do that a lot. Or, a minor in business just in case.”
What are you good at?
“Definitely, animals. I have yet to have any animal dislike me. I just had a cat love me who recovered from rabies. He would hiss and scream at anyone who would walk by him, and I come in and this cat is rubbing up on me. I’m also good at drawing characters out of everything. I wouldn’t say art as much, I mean, you get told my everyone you’re good at at. But art in itself, I don’t really know what I’m doing. But I’m more confident in my ability to make characters via digital drawings.”
How do you make people happy?
“With my friends I’m good at listening, but not as good at giving advice. I’m more of a person who you can give your heart at and I will listen. I’ll give you words of encouragement, and if I have experience on something, I will give advice on that.”
What do other people tell you that you’re good at?
“Art. Mainly the same things: art and animals. I’m also good at being affirmative when it comes t how to take care of animals and giving advice on those things.”
What do you like about school?
“I actually do like school, I’m one of those weirdos that like to learn. I don’t like the social aspect as much, but I like being around other people, but I’m less talkative. I like to be around other people because it’s a whole existence thing, but it’s mainly the learning aspect that I’m into.”
What are some things about school that are frustrating for you?
“Well not in my school imparticular. I’m lucky to go to the school that I go to because it feels like the teachers actually care about you. They actually care about your interests etc.”
What are some things that make you feel confident?
“Being around animals, definitely. I mean, animals is going to be a huge circulation in this LOL. You don’t feel judged by animals, you could be having a bad day and they’re not going to leave you for it. It’s definitely a lot better than being with humans.”
What are some areas that make you more stressed out or nervous?
“Definitely more social environments. Unlike with animals, with humans, you actually have to communicate and talk and sometimes it doesn’t help.”
What do you love about yourself?
“The whole animal thing. I’m definitely proud that I know how to keep my dog trained; it’s always cool when I’m walking my dog and she is trained and doesn’t react to other dogs going crazy. Also, the digital art character thing. I’m definitely proud about my creativity because I am a very creative person. When it comes to getting my thoughts out and visual representations. I can’t explain my thoughts as well as I can draw them out.”
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be and why?
“Hmm, that’s hard. I guess, I’d like to be less worried about the future. I’d like to be a little less pessimistic.”
Do you feel like society or the media pressures you to be a certain way?
“Most definitely. You have to be successful, you have to go to college, if you don’t do this you’re not going to be successful…then you’re going to fall behind.”
Have you ever been bullied?
“Ugh yep. I myself have been a bit of a bully even. I feel like everyone has been bullied. I think it would help with everyone recognizing that usually bullies are people that were bullied.”
Who are some strong women you know / good role models you look up to?
“My coworkers definitely. I like Tabitha Brown – she is a black ,vegan cookbook author and very into women’s rights. I feel like that’s empowering – she also does these inspirational messages every night. It’s always nice to listen to before bed.”
What do you wish the world knew about you?
“I definitely look and act intimidating, but I’m still struggling like everybody else and still figuring it out.”
What are you most grateful for?
“Animals. Definitely my creativity – it helps you get a lot off your mind. Also grateful for my friends, family and boyfriend.”
What person has had the biggest impact on your life?
“That’s hard because I’ve had a lot of people impact me. My friend, one of the smartest people I’ve ever met. He’s really upfront with you, but kind at the same time. Also my coworkers – they’re the ones thtat helped me decide that being a Vet tech is what I want to do and also helping me be more myself.”
If you were given $5,000 to give the most amount of happiness to the most amount of people, what would you do with that $5,000?
“Teaching people to cook, not just giving people food once. Cooking is like another form of art and I don’t get to do it as much.”
What’s the best piece of advice someone has given you?
Everything is not as it seems. I hear it a lot. It basically makes you look a little deeper, and makes you understand that not everything is bad. There’s only a surface to everything, and if you go deeper you can find so much more. Also “look at the bigger picture.”
