I am so excited for all my girls who graduated this June and for the 170 photo students I had the honor of teaching this semester. So much of the world is ahead of them. Adventures await, challenges ahead and lots of learning opportunities are in store…oooh what fun!

I wanted to thank all the wonderful families and Seniors who I had the privilege of working with. This was quite a hard year for me, learning to be a mom and juggling my family, teaching and my photo biz. For the awesome young women I had the joy of photographing, you all left me giddy with excitement. You reminded me of me and helped to keep my identity of being an artist in tact, as I was finding a new identity of a mom. So thank you. And for my photo students, you all rocked this year. It was so much fun teaching you the magic of photography and all the fun stuff you can do with it. It was a whirlwind of a year!

Danielle, I LOVED photographing you. It’s a treat when I get to photograph former students. I wish you the best at Santa Barbara City College and surfing the waves of Ventura Beach. You’re too cool!

Michaela, you are just plain cool. I pray that you continue to ride horses and follow your passions all the way into adulthood. You go by the beat of your own drum and I applaud you for it. You are gorgeous and such a confident young woman who isn’t afraid of being yourself…don’t lose that. 
Katie! Oh Katie! I love your style, your sense of humor and your love for ruggedness. I pray that you continue to pursue agriculture and eventually make it to a university with a strong agriculture program. You were given a gift that you already know what you want to do, so I hope you have the guts to really go after it. Sarah, you are beautiful. You are such a gorgeous young woman, both inside and out. I am so excited for what lays ahead of you at University of Texas. I just know you are going to love it there! I wouldn’t be surprised if you end up falling in love with a cowboy! Yee ha!

Oh Haley! I feel like I have seen you grow into a amazingly gorgeous young woman over these past few years. When I first met you a couple years ago, I had no idea I was going to photograph you and now I have had the honor of creating amazing photos of you. You are such a sweetie. I am not sure what your college plans are, but knowing your parents, I am sure you are taken care of. You are so loved and you are going to be uber happy in life.

Brittany, you are a jewel. I really loved getting to know you this year and it was so much fun photographing you. Good luck at Santiago Canyon College and enjoy the gorgeous surroundings of that campus. Troy High’s ASB is going to miss your gorgeous smile. Pia, I think your session was one of my all time favorite shoots! You were so much fun to get to know and to see come alive in front of my lens. You are brilliant, kind and super adorable! Everyone who has been lucky enough to know you, knows that you are going to be running for president one day or something amazing like that! Good luck at Brown University and enjoy everything it has to offer!
Mychal, I was so impressed by you. Your love for dance, but super brainy desires to be a cosmetic designer, makes you so well rounded and cool. Your joyful spirit just flows through your chestnut eyes and gorgeous smile. I hope you enjoy college and surround yourself with inspiring people, as I know you are going to inspire others too. Kelsey, you just graduated from Sonoma and I pray that you are doing exactly what you love. From what I have learned since graduating from college, is that you really should get into a career that you love. Work should be fun and something you to do everyday. And if you are having a hard time figuring it out, even it’s not marketing like what you studied in college, you will eventually learn what it is. Big hugs!

Charli! You are so sweet, beautiful and very much loved. It was so fun seeing you blossom with confidence in front of my lens and I pray that you hold onto that. Good luck in college and study something that you love and find super interesting. And I hope that you get that princess role at Disneyland!
Grace, you are an all around amazing young lady. You are smart, super social, strikingly gorgeous and a joy to photograph. I hope you continue to fall more in love with that super handsome soldier boyfriend of yours, but don’t let him hold you back from pursuing your education. I am totally confident that you are going to be super successful and that you will fill your life with all sorts of amazing adventures. Danielle, you are a sweetie. What I love about you is that you are a girly girl, yet you love to get your hands dirty. Most young women don’t know the difference between a cow and a steer, but I hope your love for animals takes you far. And last, but definitely not least, Emily! I have had the honor of photographing you many times now and I LOVE it! You are such a strong, smart and well poised young woman. Your early success is just a taste for what is in store for you in years to come. And I just love your family, so I know your parents are going to help support you and love watching you blossom into a incredibly accomplished woman. This is just the beginning! 

So to my beautiful Foxy Seniors, congrats! And to my awesome Foxy Students, amen, it’s summer!

Some parting words…I hope you all the courage to live life to the fullest. Turn off the tv and put the cell phone away when you are talking to people…you will find your self more connected and actually be able to listen to them. Save your money for traveling the world, as it’s the BEST education I have ever had. Choose your friends wisely, as the people you surround yourself with have a HUGE impact on the happiness and ability of you reaching your goals. Eat healthy, as your body needs real food, from the earth, to nourish it and allow your body to work at it’s peak performance. Allow your body to move, as that it what is made for! And lastly, ladies, fall in love with a man that treats you well and respects you for who you are. You are all strong, lovely and brilliant women, so don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!