“Being a women, it means everything! Feminine, versatile, beautiful, multitaskful. A word I would use to describe myself is resilient and I am proud of being vocal!”
Cortrice Tipton-Boone
Age: 46
Occupation: Homemaker
Cortrice
Iesha & Jade
“ A woman must know her worth. You must always ensure that you stay true to yourself, carry yourself with style, class and grace. Know your worth, walk in faith, remain positive, and always stay true to yourself. Put God first in all that you do. Live, love, and laugh is my life’s motto. A single word that describes me is ambitious. A quality I am proud of is motherhood. Success isn’t measured by the amount of degrees you’ve achieved. Success is measured by the amount of times you’ve failed, but kept trying and finally succeeded.”
Iesha Brassell & Jade
Age: Unknown
Occupation: Unknown
Kelly
“To be a woman means being human. We often focus on the differences between men and women. I think we need to focus on our similarities in order to make all people feel we are truly equals. Unfortunatly, there are still so many people who have preconceived notions of who women are, and who men are. One size does not fit all when it comes to people, regardless of their gender. One word that describes me as an individual is independent. I feel so fortunate and proud to say that everything I have, I have accomplished with my own efforts. I’ve always taken the viewpoint that you are responsible for your own destiny. So many people blame their issues on everyone and everything other then themselves. While of course there will be circumstances where people will fall on hard times, it is ultimately up to you how you will prevail and handle the situation. Being independent does not mean tackling everything alone. You need to turn to people when you need help. There is no one in this world who can’t learn something from others. I try to always take responsibility for my life, and I dream big. I know I can accomplish anything I choose, and can live the life I want to live.
One quality I am proud of is that I am great with my personal finances. I graduated college dent free, which I am extremely proud of. I have a great ability to weigh out my options in terms of all major purchases I make - it makes me happy to save money on anything I can, without giving up quality of life. I am currently planning my wedding, which my fiancé and I are paying for on ourselves. I know when the day comes, it will be such a great feeling to know we accomplished the beautiful day with our own money. When I was younger I wish I had not focused so much on my insecurities. Everyone has insecurities, and to be honest, most people have not thought twice about the fact that one of your ears is bigger then the other, or that you have cellulite, or whatever your insecurities are! We are all different, and no one is 100% happy with their appearance.
Final thought. All women need to support each other in their choices. We do not live the same lifestyle, and that is ok! If we don’t support each other, how can we expect men to accept and support us?”
Kelly Trombley
Age: unknown
Occupation: unknown
Kate
“That’s a loaded question. It means that we run the show - usually behind the scenes. It means that we nurture and care and fight for the ones we love. It means we have a responsibility to bring feminine energy to the world. We show others how to connect to their power(s) by connecting to our. We are sacred and of the world at the same time. Women are the conscience of the world. I am compassionate. I’m proud of my ability to guide people to their own truth.
I wish I had not wasted a single second thinking that I was fate first of all, I wasn’t. And second of all WHO CARES?! I wish I had started a savings account - that I did not touch - when I turned 18. Also - the things that are the most devastating and hurt the most are often the very events that are turning points where our lives change for the better. Losses that absolutely crippled me are, in hindsight, bullets dodged. And even something as crushing as the death of my father has lead to many opportunities for growth. Eventually. Lately I keep thinking about compassion. I am trying to cultivate more of that in and for myself first of all. I am easy to give it to others, but what I’ve discovered is if I don’t offer to myself then what I’m giving to others isn’t compassion - it’s martyrdom. And no one wants that.”
Kate Peckham
Age: 46
Occupation: Artist. Mother. Truth Seeker. Teacher
Mikayla, Savannah, and Jeanette
“Being a women means being a girl who is independent and will help people. She is strong. A word that would describe me is passionate and I am proud of my dancing, I will do it to entertain people. My advice would be to just be the best you, you can be, and don’t listen to haters.”
Savannah Capote
Age: 13
Occupation: Student
“To be a woman means to be fierce. To be supportive. To be courageous and passionate. To always be you. A word to describe me is stubborn. I am proud of the fact that I am outspoken. Don’t mind what people say, they may hurt you now, they will hurt you later. The important thing to try to remember is they don’t matter.”
Mikayla Capote
Age: 19
Occupation: Unknown - But does pretty awesome cosplay.
“A woman is strong. Confident, loving, courageous, humble, sees good in others, lifts up her fellow women instead of tearing them down, gentle yet fierce, and passionate but also compassionate. A word that describes me is creative. A quality I’m proud of is being resilient. There have been many difficulties in the last few years. I’m proud of myself for being able to come back to myself no matter what life has thrown at me. Listen to your gut, the little voice inside you that is trying to tell you if something is right for you or not. Don’t be afraid to try new things, meet new people or step outside of your comfort zone. “You can tell who the strong women are. They are the ones building each other up instead of tearing each other down.” - Source unknown”
Jeannette Priciak
Age: 49
Occupation: Dance Teacher/choreographer and Paraprofessional
Dawn
'A woman is a very complex creature. She is strong, sensitive and fiercely protective of her family. She has the ability to juggle many things at once - home, family, job, etc. First, and foremost, she is a caregiver - often neglecting her own needs to help others. The neglecting her own needs to help others. The pat off for all of this: If she's lucky, she gets to experience the miracle of growing a new life inside her body. Not a bad trade off! I consider myself very TRuSTWORTHY. The quality I'm most proud of: HONESTY. To young women: Respect yourself and your body! Sex is not the most important thing on the planet and no one should pressure you into it. Please don't believe the Hollywood illusion of love and romance. Relationships, love and marriage are hard work. You can not be totally dependent on another person to feel happiness and fulfillment. Find out what makes you happy and satisfied before you get involved with someone. When you do get into a serious relationship, make sure they support your choices. Don't let them try to change you, and don't think you can change them. You need to accept each other unconditionally or you'll be fighting an uphill battle that won't end well."
Dawn Rodriguez
Age: 61
Occupation: Transportation Billing Clerk, Mother, Grandmother
Autumn & Bridget
"To be a women means to be perfectly imperfect! It means to be kind, gentle, soft all the while being strong & tough as nails. It's about not following the script, It's about knowing what needs to be done. Just doing it. One word I would describe myself with is Sassy! I'm proud of my tenacity. My ability to move forward. The women in my family have shown me how to do what I need to do for ME. No matter the obstacles. They have taught me that they are always there, no matter what. One thing I would tell my younger self is to stop trying to please everyone and everything! It took me three years in to college to fully grasp this concept . . . I have to remind myself that even when my "mother hen" instincts kick in. I need to step back and do what I or you need to do for me/you.
Autumn Green
Age: 20
Occupation: Student Nurse
Bridget Green
Age: 47
Occupation: BSN (OB)
Melissa
"A woman has strength and vulnerability. She is capable of balancing life because of her resilience. She is soft and she's also a hardass - depending on the situation. She nurtures and she cares. She knows that loving is not easy but she loves with all her soul. She supports, encourages, and motivates. She faces bias and discrimination with grace. She has her boundaries. She has integrity and carries herself with dignity, She believes in herself. She's a light to someone's darkness. She humbles herself before her God, She protects her own. A woman can defend herself and her loved ones, She can stand on her own. She doesn't need someone to complete her. She will stand in front of her other half and her loved ones, she knows when to stand behind and most times have someone stand behind her. She doesn't take shit from anybody. When she loves, she loves deeply. She can forgive. I am Resilient. I am proud of my ability to be nonjudgmental. I watch people's body language and listen to their tone of voice. I can see right through bullshit, though. Or just plain adaptable. I would like women to not be afraid of setting boundaries. They need to dig deep inside of them to know that they are only as good as they make themselves to be. They need to be able to defend themselves physically yet have the courage to be vulnerable and let someone take care of them. Hold their head up, walk the talk. Learn everything and train. Never stop learning. There's no such thing as "I can't because I don't know."Ignorance is not and excuse. Learn to hold on and when to let go. Be proud of what's been accomplished. Follow your heart and listen to your head. Balance both. Know your passion. Know your truth. It's your story to tell."
Melissa Buot-Favazza
Age: 58
Occupation: Private Tutor & Volunteer
Catherine & Michelle
"My identity as a woman is inextricably linked to the truth that I am made in the image and likeness of God. As a woman I am inherently creative. I possess a unique feminine genius that allows me to make a difference in the world that can be made by no one else. In feminine beauty there is strength. I am grateful, Joyful, faith-filled, inspirational. By recognizing the goodness that surrounds me, I am able to choose joy everyday. I am an encourager. I have endured many trials, but I've chosen to be happy rather than bitter. I have learned that suffering is not to be feared . . . as a woman of faith I know that it can be redemptive. The world is full of beauty . . . when I am able to awaken others to that beauty - through my words, pictures, actions - I am most proud of who I am.
"Be who God meant you to be, and you will set the world on fire" - St. Catherine of Siena
Spend your life becoming the best version of yourself. Don't try to please others constantly. Give of yourself generously, but nurture yourself - invest in discovering your unique gifts and talents. Fear is useless. What is needed is trust. Do not be afraid of failing. Fail often. Fail big. Don't ever quit failing! Focus on others when you are sad or depressed, you will find joy. The saddest event in my life, the death of my youngest child, was also the most transformative. She taught me how to live. All the things I try, all the ways I fail, I do these things because she cannot. I promised her I would live fully in her honor. When I'm tempted to quit, I remember how she suffered . . . and yet how she radiated love. I want to live like that."
Catherine Adamkiewicz
Age: 53
Occupation: Communications Professional, Photographer, Wife, Mother, Grandmother of two, Modern Matriarch
"To love and accept who you are as a daughter of God, made in his image and likeness, to recognize your inner strength and beauty and share it with the world, and to be brave in the face of adversity and hardship, even if that comes from within. I am a lover. I am proud of my ability to express my emotions through words, whether it's conversation, a blog post, a poem, etc. Your attitude is everything! You always have a choice in how you react and deal with what happens in your life. Choose joy. Choose positivity. Choose hope. Choose LOVE!"
Michelle Adamkiewwicz
Age: 26
Occupation: Wife, stay at home parent, part-time gap cashier
Liz
"To be a woman is to have the balance of compassion and strength. Compassion for those we love and strength to hold everyone together. I am peacefully patient and I am proud of my ability to be positive above all else. No matter the challenge I will find the silver lining. My advice for all women is to love yourself. Love yourself for all your strengths and weaknesses. Love yourself for the unique, Wonder Woman that you are. Be proud of your accomplishments and learn from your mistakes. It's an honor to be a part of Hannah's project. She is an inspiring young lady. When women come together we are unstoppable!!"
Liz Muroski
Age: Unknown
Occupation: Body builder/ Personal Trainer
Piper and Lori
"Being a woman means being strong. Girls face things both genetically and socially working against them everyday, but the women are the ones who overcome them to lead successful and happy lives. Women are powerful, and when they come together they are a force to be reckoned with . I don't have as much background knowledge as I am just entering the world of women myself, but I've seen many great examples that I strive to be like, such as my mother. I believe that's another important quality that defines a woman, being able to use their powers for good reasons , like being a positive role model. A quality about myself that I'm proud of is my positivity because it drives me to want to spread joy and happiness to the people around me. I am known for my leadership because I use my positivity to coordinate and organize social events to keep my friends together, almost like glue. It's one of my favorite qualities about myself as well because it makes me feel good to make my friends feel welcomed and appreciated. As I get older and start becoming more of a role model, I hope to spread that quality of using leadership in a positive way to future women to come."
Piper Fujita (left)
Age: 18
Occupation: High school student
"Today, the day of this photo session, my daughter Piper turned 18. I can't imagine a day more perfect to ponder the topic of what it means to be a woman. Particularly in the year 2018, under this government. I do worry for her , and for all up and coming young women. While our country is distracted by the antics of the White House, basic rights my generation probably took for granted are slowly being chipped away. What advice would I give to other women? Support each other. Empathize with each other. Disagree, sure . . . but don't alienate each other. There is a basic, common center of a woman that is universal. We can't ever forget that. Ever. No matter what our individual political point of view. Because while we bicker amongst ourselves, we are allowing this country to step backwards to a seemingly forgotten time where we couldn't make our own health decision, where being paid less fir the same job was the norm, when our voice was quieter. . . I brought one prop with me today. A photo of my amazing daughters. Hands down, these young women ( along with countless other honorary daughters) are my GREATEST PRIDE! They think for themselves. they understand the BIGGER picture. They involve themselves. They are not afraid to use their voices. My greatest accomplishment in life is that I was honored to play some small role in who they are today. A single word to describe me? That's a tough one. . . maybe at this stage in my life, I would have to say hopeful. For the future of my girls, for the future of this country, for the future of this world."
Lori Fujita (right)
Age: Unknown
Occupation: Unknown
Savannah and Olivia
"Being a woman is resilience. It is taking struggles and hardship in stride. It is loving yourself even when it's hard to. One word to describe myself is POWERFUL. I am immensely proud of my confidence. I worked hard for it. There is nothing more important than loving yourself. Everything else comes second. I have worked so hard on myself the last few years. I feel like I've only just discovered what it is to be a woman. I am both blessed and terrified to be able to teach my daughter what I have learned."
Savannah Andronic (left)
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
"Being a woman means being strong, resilient, and standing up for what you believe in. Being a woman is being apart of a group that stands up for each other. A word that describes me is knowledgeable. I am proud of my ability to lead others. I wish I had known not to care so much about what other people were doing and to focus on what I liked and wanted to do."
Olivia Andronic (right)
Age: 18
Occupation: Student/Barista
Bianca
"Life is what it means to be a woman. I would describe myself as fearless and I am proud that I am relentless. Love yourself, unapologetically. Stay Beautiful, stay strong."
Bianca Hopes
Age: Unknown
Occupation: Personal Trainer and Body builder
Bev
"Wow! I've really never given this any thought so it's a very challenging question. I honestly think of myself as a human-being that loves deeply. A human-being that tries to be open-minded, respectful and honest. A human-being that is proud of the life lived and the road traveled. A word that would describe me is optimistic. I am proud of my emotional strength aided by the ability to always look forward to tomorrow. Always be true to who you are. Never give up your personal vision, hopes or dreams. Life really does go by at lightning speed and there is a warm satisfaction in knowing, later in life, that you never put them aside or forgot what made you a special human-being."
Bev Korte
Age: 66
Occupation: Retired - Project coordinator for Henry Ford Health System
Sierra
Sierra Onickel
Age: 24
Occupation: Photographer at Medical Examiner Office
"To be a woman means being human, remembering that we are worth just as much as everyone else. I think being a woman has so many meanings you can't throw women into one category. It means challenging yourself and the world against pre-conceived notions of woman hood. I've learned so much that I wish I had known when I was younger - it's kind of ridiculous. What you wear or how you look doesn't define you, it doesn't designate what kind of treatment you deserve from society. I know that when I was younger I judged other girls on what they wore, for dressing "slutty" or whatever. I wish I could lecture my younger self. You don't have to pick your lifelong career in high school. Screw that. It's not OK for older guys to look at you and if someone (or some guy) is making you uncomfortable - fuck politeness. They don't seem to get the hint otherwise. If men on the street tell you to smile - Don't. Your face does not exist for them. It's OK to not wear makeup, it's OK to not date anyone as a teenager. It's OK to be weird - Although I was pretty comfortable with that. It's OK to be insecure, everyone is."
Andrea
"It means being . . . Resilient because a woman needs to be strong, determined, and spirited to guide them self through life. A word I would use to describe myself is giving. I am a person that can always be trusted. You are a reflection of what you project. Never run from challenges because there is always something there to learn. Always keep looking for ways to ground yourself. When you do that you often look deep within and learn much."
Andrea Dziengowski
Age: 37
Occupation: Teacher
Barbara
Barbara Agar
Age: 50
Occupation: Para-pro
"I think some of the most important things about being a woman are taking care of your kids and family before all else. With that being said you also have to take care of yourself. Being a woman means that you have to find a balance between family, time with your love, time with your kids, time with your friends, and time to be by yourself. Every day could be a struggle if you let it, you just have to find a balance. A single word that describes me is loving and I am proud of the fact that I am giving. The best advice I ever received from my parents and one thing I regret not listening to was to save 10% to 20% of whatever you make. Have it directly taken out of your check and put it in to a separate account and don’t touch it. If you don’t see it, you won’t miss it. Always spend quality time with your kids and your family. Do what you love and it will never feel like a job. Help out in your community and schools. You will get to see what is going on around you."
Chelsea
Chelsea Rice
Age: 22
Occupation: Preschool Teacher
"What does it mean to be a woman? My first thought was to Google this question. . . and the results were less than disappointing. The first thing I read was “The female being (distinguished from a man). What the hell does it mean for a woman to be distinguished from a man? Am I supposed to constantly defend myself against men? And out of the initial 6 Google responses, I only fit in to 3 of the categories, so does that make me half of a woman? When I look back and think of all the women influences in my life, all I can think is, how the hell did you do it?! How did my mother put four children (who were all girls) ahead of herself? When I come home at the end of each day, I am grateful the only person I had to cater to is myself. While that may sound selfish, it’s true. We limit women when we say she is “that kind of woman.” That kind of woman is categorized as traditional or modern, a feminist or not, a liberal or conservative, a virgin or a whore. . . the list goes on. So to answer your question, finally, being a woman means recognizing the strengths that come with womanhood, heart, body, mind, and soul. We take responsibility for our lives and what we want from this life. We might be afraid, but we go behind that fear to define our womanhood, and we don’t allow anyone else to define it for us.
A single word that would describe me as an individual is courageous. I am proud of my ability to overcome. No matter what life throws at me, I know I will always have the ability to overcome."
Barbara
"A woman is someone who is fundamentally the same and different than a man. A women is a nurturer, a leader, a comforter, a healer. She is the one who gets things done. Powerful. Kind, strong in mind and body. There is beauty and mystery in every woman. Coco Chanel said, “A woman should be classy and fabulous.” :) A single word that describes me is persistent and a quality that I am proud of is my resilience.
Don’t let anyone else define you. When someone tells you that you can’t do something because of your gender. Show them that you can. Break the rules! It is better to ask for forgiveness than permission."
Barbara Korte
Age: 66
Occupation: Retired - North America Director of sales at IBM
Samantha
Samantha Collins
Age:26
Occupation: N/A - on medical leave after Brain Surgery
"Being a woman means having a deep inner strength. To be able to carry on when people think you can’t. Being a woman is about more then biology. We are role models, mothers, sisters, daughters and wives. We have the ability to be gentle yet strong. Being a woman I personally want to show that even women can be tough and strong. If someone tells you that you can’t because you are a woman, prove them wrong. We as women are stepping out of stereotypes and going past the boundaries society has set for us. A single word that describes me is resilient. I'm proud of my ability to be strong and to keep going. In my life I have faced one horrible hardship after another. I have always been strong for another. With those hardships I have seen the bottom and only had the ability to look up. This has given me the ability to live for more than myself.
Never forget that there are people who love you. When you hit rock bottom, continue. Continue for hose who love you, and those who rely on you. Because nothing will affect them more then when you are gone. Take care of yourself to be there as long as you can. Say I love you to someone at least once a day. You never know when you are able to again."