Wonder, girl!
Girls get bombarded with messages about what is seemingly acceptable given their body types or shapes, or hair texture, gender, intelligence, aptitude for sports, music, etc. It is time for a new narrative. It is time that all girls feel empowered to wonder. And not only to wonder, but to make it happen. The Wonder, girl! Project is one effort towards that inspiration. It is a project highlighting young women who are not allowing themselves to be limited by stereotypes or by how others might classify them or otherwise think of them. These are young women who are setting a new standard, young women who are doing it (whatever that special 'it' is for them). The new narrative is BE WHO YOU ARE. Wonder, girl!
Only 25% of all Emergency Department doctors in the US are female, and those that are often have to prove to patients that they are in fact the doctor on duty. Shot on location courtesy of Banner University Medical Center in Tucson, AZ.
Intimidated by solo world travel? Get inspired by Desiree Choy who recently spent 3 years abroad (2 years living/teaching in Ecuador, plus one year traveling the world). She's already been to over 50 countries! Shot on location courtesy of the Monterey Regional Airport in Monterey, CA.
Embracing her curves, Tanzi has been modeling for some time now, and it is easy to see why. Her beauty and confidence just glow!
Returning to school was a challenge but Roslyn became involved in the Pima Engineering Club in 2014. "The Club has opened up several opportunities that I have taken advantage of to include the NASA ASCEND and the NASA RockOn! Undergraduate research programs. I never imagined I would launch something into suborbital space (she launched a project into outer space on a sounding rocket at NASA's Flight Facility in Virginia) this early in my career. Playing a part on student engineering teams and becoming engulfed in the Tucson science and engineering community has given me a sense of belonging and a drive to create something profound for this world in the area of robotics and space exploration. I am currently working on a new prototype for the High Elevation Antarctic Terahertz (HEAT) Telescope project through the University of Arizona Steward Observatory Solar Lab. The telescope will ideally give us a better picture of our universe by processing frequencies beyond the visible light spectrum." Shot on location courtesy of the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, AZ.
Changing the ration. Female saxophonists are rare, even more so within professional bands. Lindy plays and sings in a group of great guys, but she is still the only female.
Sometimes things are black and white. Sometimes not. Often things are camouflaged. Chloe and her art appear pretty straightforward on the surface, but look closely. There is amazing beauty in the detail.
“'I’m not sure I exist,' was something I said to my mother at age seven. What I meant was that I didn’t see my own gender diversity reflected back in the images of womanhood that surrounded me. I couldn’t see myself anywhere in the greater picture of the world." ...Alex
"Growing up as a tomboy (truthfully, as a young gender-non-conforming kid) I had no possibility models to wonder after, no examples of a happy life successfully imagined and lived." ...Alex
"I’m relieved to say that I am beginning a new chapter of my life as a transman, and I couldn’t be happier! As it turns out there are as many ways to empress gender identity as there are people in the world and all are wonderfully unique and true expressions of the human form. It’s okay to wonder beyond the confines of what is considered normal. Gender doesn’t have to be a one size fits all model." ...Alex
Fierce comes in all shapes and styles…
I spent a lot of time watching girls learning to skate and they all had one thing in common... how they dressed. They all wore boy clothes that were baggy and dark (literally, clothing sold in the boy's department), usually with a baseball cap (under their helmets) to boot. But when classes were done, they would go back to whatever their typical style was. One little girl went back to an actual pink tutu. When asked about this, the typical response was, "I want to be good... like the boys." This inspired me to find professional female skaters who don't fit the standard male mold. This is Kristin Ebeling and Jasmin Kwan of Skate Like a Girl proving fierce comes in all shapes and styles. You definitely don't have to be a boy to skate like a pro. You can be. But you don't have to be.
Preppy girls can ride...
Gothic Lolita tends to be a darker, more elegant, style of Lolita… one that emphasizes fine tailoring. Brooke exemplifies not only the fashion of GothLoli, but also the inclusivity of it. She is a tattoo artist and piercer that promotes acceptance and confidence while creating a soothing and caring environment for body modification. Go see her at Jade Buddha Tattoo in San Diego!
Light a Candle for Peace… Overcoming childhood trauma is not easy, but Caitlin is a beautiful example of courage, determination, and success. Today she has found family in her students and colleagues as a Montessori teacher... and her wonderful husband. Her mantra:
"Light a candle for peace
Light a candle for love
Light a candle that shines all the way around the world…"
(From the song, Light a Candle for Peace by Shelley Murley)
Shot on location courtesy of DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun in Tucson, AZ.
Breaking the stereotype of who a model is. Shot on location courtesy of Suite Q Photography Studio in Monterey, CA.