I am quite pleased to introduce you to Cate, a Longleaf School of the Arts Class of 2018 Senior!
I met Cate’s awesome mom very memorably about a year & half ago and Cate herself last year. And have been anxiously awaiting her session ever since! She is unique & beautiful, inside & out… an incredibly kind, passionate & genuine young lady, with a sweet smile & this head of amazing curls that catch your attention. When asked what makes her fabulous, she replied “…my independence and ability to figure out how to navigate in the world. I love performing in front of a crowd despite my strong personal introversion. I also don’t take myself too seriously–having good perspective that not everything has to be perfect all the time.” Why yes, I would agree, that is pretty fabulous… knowing this about herself is also pretty fabulous in itself!!
To say that Cate is beautifully well rounded, might be a bit of an understatement. She loves singing, dancing & acting, including producing & performing in musicals. She even plays the ukulele! She was a competitive gymnast, is a member of Raleigh Crossfit and takes flexibility & cirque at Cirque de Vol. Among her many accomplishments, along with a fellow Girl Scout, she developed an 8-month family-based “learn to camp” program for her church community! How cool is that?! Through this she learned to teach and speak with confidence and also earned her Girl Scout Silver Award in recognition of their efforts.
Something that really stood out to me was Cate’s interest in government & public policy. She is a member of the Student Government Association and participated in the STEP “Switching the Education Paradigm” policy advisory committee to impact student experience. She has participated in the NC Youth Legislative Assembly (YLA) since she was a freshman; debated “legislative proposals” in halls of the General Assembly; was named a YLA co-chair, mentoring new participants & drafting legislation to be used in the program. It is no surprise that she has a special place in her heart for and even has ancestry that was a major player in the Women’s Suffrage moment! “I believe strongly in women’s rights and would like to think that I would have been actively engaged in the movement. I believe it is because of the Suffrage Movement and the passage of the 19th Amendment that we’ve seen women make such great strides in how they are perceived. It’s wonderful to see what amazing impacts women have since had on our society.” Cate’s great aunt, Anita Pollitzer, was instrumental in the passage of the 19th Amendment, Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) & National Fair Labor Standards Act; formed the World Women’s Party (WWP) & held leadership positions in the National Women’s Party… just to name a few! She was also “a creative force” in the Modern American Arts Movement. (I QUITE enjoyed researching Cate’s Aunt for this project!!)
For Cate’s session, it was only fitting that we hold it downtown Raleigh. This is her home! We started with a perfectly Cate, everyday look… right in her bedroom. Complete with downtown view, her ukulele & singing (SUCH A PRETTY VOICE)… this was her, in her element & comfort zone. We then captured her very fitting professional side around their apartment building & down along the street view. Finally, as the sun was setting, we paid homage to her great aunt & Cate’s own passions, with a 1940’s Suffragette look at our state’s Capital. Cate & her mom gathered the pieces for her look from vintage stores & goodwill and oh my, what a fabulous job they did! And Cate herself… fit this look SO perfectly!! I felt quite honored to be capturing this session…
As always, much thanks goes to Denise Hutter, Images by Denise for Cate’s beautiful & very her, Hair & Makeup looks! Thanks also goes to Cate’s friend, Meredith Glover for assisting & grabbing our behind the scenes coverage… it was great to have you along for the afternoon!
For more images & fun behind the scenes moments, you may also catch highlights from Cate’s Reveal Video on our YouTube channel!
