Class of 2020 Feature-Catriana Carroll
Sometimes I sit down to write a post and nothing comes out. Sometimes it’s because I don’t know what to say, other times it’s because I have so much history to write about, I don’t know where to start.
The second reason is why this blog post has taken me so long to write.
I first met Catriana Carroll after I photographed her oldest brother's senior portraits and then their family portraits. It seems so long ago, and that Cat was so young. Since then I have photographed her other brother, and Cat has been on my Dream Team twice. It’s like she has grown up right before my eyes and I feel all choked up thinking that she is going off to college soon to pursue her dreams and continue to be awesome! It's like seeing my sister(I say that so I can pretend I'm still in my late 20's) growing up to be an amazing young woman!
Watching Cat grow up through high school, I knew she was going to be a force to reckon with on the sports front. In all 3 sports, she played varsity for all 4 years. She is missing her final season of tennis which I have no doubt that she would have made it to States again. One of her highlights that she did get to finish was bringing home a girls basketball district title for Lumen Christi, which had not been done in a long time.
Another favorite part had nothing to do with sports, but that her friends and her got to do the school musical! She loves to sing and dance, and got to show that off in the show. She also has an artistic side and loves to draw and sketch pictures.
During the COVID-19 stay home order Cat is staying in touch with her friends over snapchat and facetime. “We are all in a group chat and can have fun and be silly. My sleep schedule is definitely messed up due to that, but it is so worth every minute.” She is also letting all the other seniors out there know to stay positive! “You aren’t stuck at home, you are SAFE at home. Everything will turn out ok, we just have to keep our heads up and grind it out!”
When I say I love when seniors choose locations that are meaningful to them, I mean, It makes my heart and soul sing. And the location that Cat chose for her senior portraits is more than special, it’s a legacy. A legacy of her beautiful grandparents who were called home to be with the Lord not too long ago. A legacy that will be long standing for her, her mother, aunt, cousins, and the rest of her family. The weather that day changed about 3 times and was an absolute downpour on the way to their home. When we got there, it stopped raining and the most beautiful clouds and sun opened up in the sky. I knew her dear grandparents, always her cheerleaders, were shining down at that moment, watching their girl.
We played in Grandma's garden, hung out on her front porch, walked around grandpa's wood pile and even got to use the wagon her grandma always used to decorate for the seasons. Every part of her senior portrait session has pieces of them involved. It was magical day and we had the best time out there that day. Cat even got to chase down some cute little kittens! I still smile remembering that day and I hope the images bring a smile to her and her family for many years to come.
We of course did not forget to include her amazing sports photos because you have to include them when you spend 4 years of your life, being a 3 sport athlete. Her volleyball images were created in the gym, while the basketball and tennis were created in the studio to make a collage.
Cat’s advice for upcoming juniors? “Stay focused, you are almost done, but everything still counts. Don’t get lazy and keep those grades up. Remember to have fun, it’s your last chance to be a kid before college so take advantage of it and keep your friends and family close.” Cat is headed off to the University of Louisville studying Pre-med, while continuing her athletic career on their crew team!
If Cat could have any superpower it would be animal telepathy. “It would be awesome to talk to animals and understand them. I would probably talk to my dog everyday. It would be very interesting.” It’s no surprise to find out her spirit animal would be a wolf. “I like my alone time like a lone walk, but I’m also very protective of my family or pack. Mess with them and you will catch the teeth. I also think that wolves are amazing creatures I can relate really well to.”
I’m excited to see what the future has in store for Catriana. I know she has an amazing heart and work ethic so she will be doing great things in this life. Cat was also on my dream team this last year and a few years ago. You can see this last year’s images HERE, while checking out her previous years sessions HERE.
Class of 2020 Catriana Carroll
Check out all the images from Cat's session in her video!
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