PHOTOS
My photography would be nowhere without the newspaper editors in Southwest Wisconsin who took a chance on me. First it was Mike and Pat Reilly with the Dodgeville Chronicle group. Then Jason Nihles with Morris Newspapers printed me and shared my photos with his colleagues: AJ Gates, Casey Lindecrantz, Natalie Dillon, Derrick Kelly, Charley Preusser, Erik Olson, and John Ingebrigtsen. I continue to donate photos weekly to each area paper, usually multiples based on which sports season is currently in session.
Other recipients of donated photos:
the Iowa-Grant Cross Country team
the Iowa-Grant Track team
the Iowa-Grant High School yearbook
the Dodgeville High School yearbook
the Mineral Point High School yearbook
athletes who need photos for awards or for social media use at the college they'll soon be attending
Recipients of donated photography services and reduced-price photo products:
area high school seniors (selected by schools)
area benefit auctions
Iowa-Grant Booster Club
Iowa-Grant Post Prom Committee
VOCAL SUPPORT
In addition to the physical and monetary donations through photos, there are four social issues to which I provide prominent support on my social media channels and personally: mental health, girls and women in sport, voting, and catastrophic/life-changing events.
Mental health, it will not surprise anyone, has taken a prominent place on my journey to today. I have experienced extreme trauma, and as a result it is my mission to prevent others from not getting help and to support people and their families once a crisis has occurred. Nobody needs to suffer alone, especially as long as someone is willing to be honest and open. I reject the shame that frequently accompanies mental health struggles so I can be as loud as possible and help others learn they're not alone.
As a girl/woman in sport, I know the limits society wants to place on us. I reject them.
The only physical action required to be a US citizen is voting. To be an educated voter is to take that job seriously. I provide links to voter registration groups and to nonpartisan sources of information.
Having lived through a catastrophic/life-changing event, I know what it's like to wake up in a completely new world. That's why I reach out to the families of area/Wisconsin residents in those situations. If possible I provide photo/monetary support as well as one-on-one communication.