I can’t say enough about the lovely lady you’re about to scroll down and see. 

Amelia and I met waaaaay back in 2008. I had moved to Knoxville from South Carolina, and she had moved down from Pennsylvania. We had been accepted to the same AmeriCorps program and were assigned the same work site, Ijams Nature Center. We both taught environmental education at local elementary schools (and also got into lots of shenanigans together). Amelia quickly became one of my faves with her carefree spirit and wide-open heart.

While I stayed in Knoxville to complete a second term with AmeriCorps, Amelia moved north, spending time in New York State and gaining many new experiences in urban farming, nutrition, and food-as-medicine. 

Fast forward to 2020. Amelia and her partner, Wyatt, move back to Knoxville from New York. Amelia immediately immerses herself in Knoxville’s food and nutrition scene and begins making connections. After some serious deliberation, she realizes she needs and wants to go to graduate school to make the most of her career. So she pours her heart into her applications and sends them off.

Let me tell you. Not only is this lady beautiful, kind, gentle, quirky, sassy, and a little bit rowdy, she’s also got brains to boot! She was accepted into some of the top public health grad programs in the nation! You should see the list of swanky schools! Ultimately, she decided on Johns Hopkins University. 

Which brings us to this photo session! Amelia needed some all-purpose headshots that she could use for her graduate program, speaking engagements, and other events that will surely come up during her time in school. 

I love that these photos capture her natural warmth and open-hearted nature. She really is one of the kindest people you could ever meet. I think (and hope) that shines through in these portraits. 

Amelia, I wish you all the best of luck on your adventure at Johns Hopkins. You are making this world a better place, and we need more people like you. Never stop being you!

---