Continuing introductions of our amazing Class of 2017 Spokesmodels, up next is our lovely Sarah!
Sarah was introduced to our program by former Spokesmodel, now Assistant, Nola Grace. Her detailed, honest and heartwarming application had us blown away! After just the first few sentences, we fell in love with this kind and soft-spoken young woman. From her eclectic style and diverse interests, she immediately grabbed our attention. Her selfless spirit was made beautifully evident through her passionate description of her time spent in Haiti on a mission trip. Sarah’s smile has even been said to be bright enough to light up an entire room, and we saw it to be true the instant we got to see her in person! For all of these reasons, and more, we just knew she had to be a part of our program! Not to mention how perfectly her own thoughts and aspirations lined up with the vision behind the Fab Grad theme for this year! (fun fact: one of her application images shared with us was of her dressed up as a super hero… before we announced or she had any idea of the theme!)
Sarah’s super hero name “sinSARAHty” was created by Nola Grace herself and comes directly from Sarah’s genuine & sincere personality! Additionally, her desired super power, could she have one, would be to help other girls feel more confident in who they are and not feel bad about themselves. Working with children & encouraging girls as they are growing up makes her considerably happy. In particular, the relationship she has with her 11 year old cousin is very important to her! She sees her like a little sister and takes the influence she has on her very seriously, wanting to make sure she realizes how amazing she is & that she can do anything she puts her mind to. Beyond our North Carolina lives, Sarah has expanded her reach of kindness aroung the world! Traveling to Haiti for a mission trip with her church group last summer, she had opportunities to work with children in orphanages and local churches. Sarah says “I was touched by their happy hearts and their grateful nature despite what looked like from an American viewpoint very little in the way of advantages. The trip changed my perspective on my own life as I was reminded of how much I take for granted and how I can be ungrateful at times. I have a love for Haiti now, and the work that God is doing there. The children had a bigger impact on my heart than I could ever have on them.” As I write this, she is preparing for her return trip next week!!
When asked about her experience with our program so far, here’s what Sarah had to say…
- What appeals to her about Jen’s work/style… “I like that Jen captures the essence of the personality of the girl that she is photographing. I like the girliness of her photos, but I also feel like she captures the power of what it is to be a girl. She focuses on all parts of a person not just the outside. It is as if she is drawing out what makes the person unique in her photos.“
- Favorite part of our group session… “My favorite part of our session was the transformation process. I loved how special I felt as the transformation took place in hair and make up and then when I put on my chosen outfit that fit my personality so well. I felt girl power and support and love from the other girls. I felt empowered and like I could conquer the world with my girls by my side, total girl power moment. It was a once in a lifetime moment for me. Thank you for the photo shoot because I would never have stepped out and done something like this on my own and it was amazing to be a part of your vision made reality.“
- Favorite part of working with Jen & team… “My favorite part of working with Jen and the team was the environment that was created. There was no competition, everyone felt special, beautiful, amazing. I loved that. I loved having Lizzy with us as part of the team. What little girl gets to experience watching such a neat transformation? I hope that she will look back at the time and remember the fun and the girl power and be confident in who she is as a girl as she grows.“
- Why her peers should come to Jen for their portraits… “I think my peers should come to Jen because of how she pays attention to details, customizing every part of the photo shoot experience. It creates a session that is unique and special and reflects the individual. Jen is creative and helps to make the portrait time a once in a life time opportunity.“
- What she is looking forward to in her 1:1 session… “I cannot wait for the chance to be a “princess” in my upcoming 1:1 session. To me, getting my portraits done is the celebration of my senior year and the beginning of the new adventures that are coming in my life.“
Fun & Fab Scoop on Sarah’s FAV things:
- Favorite Quotes… “A woman is like a tea bag; you never know how strong it is until it’s in hot water.” – Eleanor Roosevelt | “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” – Dr. Seuss | “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” – Oscar Wilde
- Color… Any shade of blue
- Time of Day… Night time
- Music… Pop music, country, 80’s music, and classic rock
- Songs… “All of Me” by John Legend, “Die a Happy Man” by Thomas Rhett, “One Call Away” by Charlie Puth, “Dangerous Woman” by Ariana Grande
- Musical Groups… Florida Georgia Line and Coldplay
- Books… Reshaping It All by Candace Cameron-Bure and To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
- TV Shows… Last Man Standing, I Love Lucy, The Carrie Diaries, Fuller House, Alias.
- Movies… Safe Haven, Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire), 13 Going On 30, Maid in Manhattan, The Little Mermaid, Captain America
- Plays… Romeo and Juliet
- Sports… Basketball and Football
- Designer… Chanel
- Artist… Edgar Degas
- Store… I don’t think I have one favorite place to shop, I like all kinds of different stores! I love antique/vintage stores and little shops in my town of Wake Forest like Pink Boutique and I like Target.
- Food… Italian food, Southern food, anything sweet, ice cream
- Thing to Do with Friends… Watching a movie, day trips, eating out somewhere
- Location... The beach
- Vacation… Going to Orlando, Florida for Disney World
Sarah says she is very excited to finish High School and begin the next part of her life. However, with her excitement comes a lot of nerves – we have no doubt she’ll be able to handle it, though!! She shared how grateful she is to have been homeschooled because it has allowed her unique opportunities to explore many different areas of interest. “Because I have so many,” she says, “I am having a tough time deciding what is next for me. I may take a year off to work and travel some before beginning my after high school education.” A lover of animals, especially dogs, she started a pet sitting business and does love the idea of doing something with families & their pets. In this time of exploration, hopefully she will make it to her dream destination of Fiji where she can relax and enjoy all things beach-y! We’re certain her future will include her loved family trips (including grandparents!) to Disney World and Florida… she says that they have so much fun together there, and she gets to remember all the wonderful Disney characters from her childhood.
Oh how we have enjoyed getting to know this angel & her mom, and are inspired by them! We also had the honor of meeting her father at our launch party in April. He is in the military and she understandably admits that her Junior year has been very challenging with him deployed for the majority of this past year. They are very close and she has missed him terribly! He is someone that she respects and loves and is grateful to have such a wonderful relationship with. He gives her wise guidance and has always made her feel like a princess. As an ‘Army Brat’ myself growing up, my heart melted for Sarah immediately. Beyond her parents, she loves spending time with her awesome brothers! These people are her safe place & we can see why!
We hope you enjoy this introductory round of images to our sweet Sarah! Stay tuned this fall for her personal 1:1 session that we are very excited about…
If you see Sarah around town… don’t miss the opportunity to take a moment to chat with her! You will surely INSERT! Feel free to reach out to her or myself if interested in getting your own Fab Grad (Senior) Portrait Session booked! She even has 10% discount off your commission fee to share… BONUS!! 😀
Special Thanks & Credits…
Hair & Make-up: Joanne Maye / Joanne Maye Make-up Artistry
Locations: The Glass Box & Downtown Raleigh
Outfit: Silver Top – Amazon, Jacket – Amazon, Pants – Forever21, Shoes – Poshmark, Earings – Kohl’s, Necklace – Borrowed from Charlotte (thank you!!)
Additional Thanks: Nola Grace Brown & Gabi Perkins
THANK YOU to Sarah’s father, Maj John Gupton for his service to our country and to the Gupton family for living the life of a strong military family & support unit!
