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

Sierra

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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

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     "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

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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

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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."


 

Samantha

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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."