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Maryrose Croddick: Teen Vogue

Posted on March 14, 2015 by Maryrose Croddick

Over the past few years I’ve watched my sister Bridget transform from a shy little girl into an engaging young woman. Not only did she grow about a foot taller and have her braces taken off just this past year, but she has also matured emotionally, becoming a more confident and outgoing individual.

This fall Bridget and her field hockey team won a gold medal in a national showcase tournament. In a just a short time she has developed into an exceptional athlete who impresses everyone watching from the sidelines with her speed and agility on the field. She is a force to be reckoned with when there is a stick in her hand, a tough and determined competitor.

Nevertheless, while she excels in sports she unfortunately suffers through school. A few years ago Bridget was diagnosed with ADD. She struggles significantly with her academics and school is a constant source of stress in her life. Despite this set back however, she is learning ways to better handle her studies in order to succeed in the classroom.

These photographs capture not only who Bridget is as both a student and an athlete, but also as an adolescent. The teenage years can take such an emotional toll on a young woman. Her battle to fit in but also be herself is very painful and confusing at times.

Life is propelling her forward on this journey to adulthood, yet Bridget still clings to her childish innocence. She possesses such youthful virtue and spritely energy and her happiest moments come when she is being her silly immature self. However, there is simultaneously a curiosity in her that compels her to explore her new maturity, her forming figure, and her developing sexuality.

And although Bridget has matured quite a bit recently, she is still only thirteen and has a lot more growing up to do. Very soon she will be graduating from middle school and going off to high school as a freshman in the fall, an exciting but also daunting thought for any eighth grader. She is thinking about pursuing a career in fashion, potentially as a model. It is definitely hard for me to see her growing up so fast because in my eyes she will always be my baby sister, but I’m excited to see what an exceptional young woman she will become in the future.

Photography and Text by Maryrose Croddick, Copyright 2015

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About The Author: Maryrose Croddick is a senior enrolled in the College of the University of Pennsylvania, Class of 2015.

Allison Denenberg: Perspective

Posted on March 12, 2015 by Allison Denenberg

About a month before my sister started high school and I began my freshman year of college, we found out that our mom had cancer. We were heartbroken and afraid, but also shocked and confused. How could something like this happen to our mom? She was so healthy. So alive. So kind. So undeserving of such a diagnosis. We feared that we were going to lose her, and we didn’t know what to do.

For months, we watched her undergo intensive chemotherapy treatments. She became frail and fatigued, but never stopped smiling. She constantly reassured us that she was fine, and that everything would be okay. Our mom was a ray of positivity and hope through one of the darkest times of our lives.

My sister and I learned a lot as a result of our mom’s illness. For one, it taught us not to sweat the small stuff. Failing a test, not getting the lead role in the play, being rejected from your top choice internship – these disappointments barely scratch the surface of the sadness and hopelessness that you feel when someone you love is sick and there is nothing you can do to heal them.

It has also taught us to be more appreciative of the good things in life, both big and small. A sunrise, the excitement of a first date, spending time with those you love – these are the things worth focusing on. It isn’t healthy to dwell on the negatives, because in doing so, you might overlook something wonderful.

While I never would have wished our mom to go through such an ordeal, there was definitely value in the experience. Watching her take on her illness with such positivity and grace was inspiring – and I was astonished at how her strength influenced my sister’s (and my own).

Now that our mom is better, we have all gained some peace of mind. But in her illness, we gained perspective.

Photography and Text by Allison Denenberg, Copyright 2015

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About the Author: Allison Denenberg is a senior enrolled in the College of the University of Pennsylvania, Class of 2015.

Nina Zhu: Future Fears

Posted on March 12, 2015 by Nina Zhu

For some, the idea of the unknown and the endless possibilities in the future is exhilarating. For others, the future only indicates more chances to make mistakes. Amy’s unclear future is frustrating to her. She doesn’t know what final career path her life will take. She’s spent hours working on classes in the engineering building to create medical devices and solve complex math derivatives, never quite sure if any of it will pay off in the end. But with the constant talk of ten-year college reunions as we near graduation, Amy can’t avoid her discomfort with her unclear future any longer.

At times, it feels as though the fate of her future is in everybody else’s hands but hers. Recruiters will determine if she’s qualified for a job, school administration will determine if she’ll be successful in graduate school. She can only put her best foot forward, but she will never get the honest opinions or get into the minds of those directly influencing her future. She will never know what they truly want from her.

The anxiety of being completely unclear as to what her life will look like after she obtains her master’s degree used to chew away at her. Amy knows that she wants to become a professor after her schooling but is also cognizant about the intense competition required to be successful in such a career. She truly doesn’t know if she will reach her goal after all is said and done.

Yet, as she’s watched her peers take on their first jobs, she’s found more peace with her uncertain future. She understands that she can only control so much. So, instead of focusing her energy obsessing over that which she cannot control, she’s chosen to focus on the positive aspects in her life. She has supportive friends and family and she’s gained an immense amount of knowledge these past four years. Amy is surrounded by love and laughter and for now, those are the only things she truly has control over.

Photography and Text by Nina Zhu, Copyright 2015

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About The Author: Nina Zhu is a senior bioengineering major at the University of Pennsylvania, Class of 2015.