Charlotte T. What to say about Charlotte? I had a dopey idea and she ran with it with gusto. The original idea of this photo essay was loss. Loss of baseball season, loss of chemistry awards, loss of prom. So I figured why not shoot a swimmer with no pool to swim in. I’m fairly certain there are some swimmers who would have balked at my silly idea but Charlotte was game. As much as I love the action, I do like the other two because you “get” to the theme faster. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Here’s Charlotte: I have been swimming competitively since I was nine years old, so it is a huge part of who I am. I was one of the seven captains of the Yorktown swim and dive team this year. Swimming is a winter sport at Yorktown, so we were lucky enough to finish our season before everything happened. I also have a passion for volunteering. I am very active in my best buddies club at school (which helps foster friendships between students with and without disabilities at Yorktown) and I also spent three hours every Sunday at Yorktown’s pool to help teach children/adults with disabilities in our community the essential skill of swimming. It means the world to be able to share my love of the water with them, even if I can’t continue now. Right now, I am missing a lot, like everyone else. I have been doing a lot of virtual games/check-ins/calls with all of my family and friends so that they know I’m thinking of them. This is a time to reflect on what you are passionate about and move forward with it when this ends. I will be attending St. Olaf college in Northfield, Minnesota this fall, where I plan on majoring in biology on the pre-med track since I am aspiring to be a nurse. My grandmother suffered from ovarian cancer for 6 years and had such wonderful, kind, and compassionate nurses take care of her from her initial diagnosis to her death this past fall. I believe that by becoming a nurse, I can honor her memory while doing what I am passionate about: helping and caring for others.” As usual, wow. These past two months have taught us that there is no greater calling than nursing.
Location: Arlington, Virginia.