I've been photographing Foster kids for about 5 years now. So when the idea of actually doing something other than providing pictures for CPS, I got really excited. I've started another personal project. It's called Surviving the System. You can read about it's purpose in the beginning of each video. I hope this inspires you enough to take action, to do something more than like this page, or smile and close your browser. Any way, on to today's inspiration....
I met Marissa a month and a half ago. I found her to be an extremely driven and focused individual. Marissa grew up in the Foster Care System, so she knows it well. She has overcome a lot in her life, and I could clearly see her resilience first hand. When she left the system, she attended college and received two degrees. Not only that, but she earned her masters degree as well. So much for the nay-sayers... She also runs her own photography business (www.marissasimonphotography.com). Her current goal is to work her way up with the company she currently works for. In 2-3 more years, she should have her own branch. Did I mention she's a mother of three children? This young women should be an inspiration to many. As we chatted during the session I could clearly see that she has been affected by the Foster Care System (as we all would). She's more of a private person. She doesn't want people knowing her business, yet she can be very outgoing. She's very guarded, and that's understandable, but she's not afraid to give of herself; like she says in the video, her secret is serving others. It's where you find yourself, by losing yourself in service to others. I really like Marissa, and even though she's not perfect (as if any of us are), I know she's going make it in this world. When she called the morning of the session, she asked if we could push the start time back one hour, I cordially agreed. When she arrived, I asked what she's been doing on her day off, she responded, "I just got back from skydiving". She's fearless..... You can learn from her yourself by clicking here, it's a video about her, in her own words..... I hope this inspires those that are still in the System. And I hope it inspires those that can make a difference in the lives of Foster Kids. It just takes a heart of compassion with the fortitude to put into action what you know is the right thing to do. The System has it's issues, as does most organizations these days, but it's up to people like you and me to make connections with these kids, that will help spur them on, giving them hope to Survive the System. I'll leave you with this thought. I asked Marissa to bring pictures from her childhood. She said she would look, but didn't find any. Can you imagine not having any pictures from your childhood? It's hard to imagine, isn't it?
The image she's holding is a faceless little girl.... something all Foster kids experience.
The images in the back are of all of her tattoos. They each signify events or values that she holds....
