No Homecoming? No problem. How one of my VIPs still made memories her senior year
The start to the 2020-2021 school year has been rocky, no matter which way you look at it. Is it safe to say that “the norm” is not knowing what the heck is going on from day to day when it comes to school?
I just typed a big paragraph of crap about this new normal when it comes to the chaos of the school year so far…and then realized nobody wants to read this reality. It’s depressing. I do not want to add to it by reminding you all about how awesome it is (not.).
You want to read how people are surviving it. Making the most of it.
Take my girl, Julia.
She is a member of my Class of 2021 VIP Team this year. She attends Park High School in Cottage Grove. She is a doll. Full of personality. Has the best giggle. Loves to be around people. She is an athlete, she is smart, and while she is all of these wonderful things, I knew inside she was also feeling pretty crushed with this adjustment to what IS for her final year of high school.
Because of the lovely pandemic, Julia’s school didn’t get the same annual celebratory excitement of homecoming that they normally would...including the traditional homecoming dance.
I felt like I needed to step up and do something to help boost her spirits a tad. Why not get dressed up and get ready for a homecoming dance anyways! And then take some photos!
Julia and her girlfriends came into the studio for a “MOCK HOCO” photo shoot. Even though there was no official school dance to go to afterwards, these girls still found reasons to celebrate their senior homecoming by getting together, looking fanTASTIC, and just having fun like high school seniors should in their last year of high school.
I’m so glad to be able to capture some of these moments for Julia and her friends!
They were together, laughing, having fun. And did I mention they all looked STUNNING! I loved seeing Julia smile again. I loved that she could make a few new memories with her closest friends - even if for only an hour’s time, while on a canvas photo backdrop in my studio.
I hope for a moment these young ladies forgot that they are in the middle of a pandemic that screwed with all that should be well for their senior year.
I’m going to have a small sappy moment here, but as the lyrics go (by the talented artist, Lee Ann Womack) “When you get the choice to sit it out or dance…I hope you dance!” These four ladies all had a choice. They could let stupid COVID completely ruin every single senior rite that they were to have this year and just sit on the sidelines and watch it all slip by helplessly - or they could overrule the Coronavirus beast and choose to dance. And that is exactly what they did.
Check out their video from the photo session below! Thank you, Rylie, Shauna, and Emily for joining Julia for this fun little adventure!
I had so much fun capturing their laughter. Julia, keep your chin up, girl. I’m proud of you for still choosing to dance! <3
If you enjoyed seeing Julia’s MOCK HOCO special photo shoot with friends, wait until next week when Taylor, VIP from Simley High School has her VIP shoot with her friends, also! Stay tuned!
Fondly,
Monda the Photographer
PS! I’m on the search for the Class of 2022 girls to apply to my VIP Team! If this is you, or you know someone, send them here to apply! If this pandemic continues on (help us all) beyond this school year, the least I can do is try my best to still create memorable experiences for you as a VIP Team member during YOUR senior year!
