Amelia | Purdue Cap & Gown Photography

West Lafayette, Indiana College Grad

Amelia

Purdue University Cap & Gown Photography

I met the most wonderful human being last week! From the minute I met this sweet girl, I’ve been in awe of her determination and feel so honored to share her story. Celebrating college graduation is an amazing milestone, but for Amelia, it’s an extra-special honor to wear her cap and gown for commencement. As a high school grad, she was unable to participate in her school’s ceremony. We met up at the Purdue Memorial Mall on a warm December day for graduation portraits with her best friend and service dog, Kosmos. (He wasn’t a fan of his cap, but was definitely a poser).

Amelia has had a challenging journey of living with multiple rare genetic conditions that have limited her mobility and wreaked havoc on her body. Despite her pain and fatigue, she has recently taken up basketball and plays in a wheelchair basketball league. She demonstrated some of the physical differences of dribbling and shooting from her wheelchair. But what inspired me the most were the small everyday actions that we take for granted, like getting in and out of her vehicle, setting up the wheelchair and managing her belongings.

We ended our senior session at sunset at Celery Bog for some amazing images of Amelia and her twin sister, Anneliese. I’m so inspired by their journey together and loved capturing their twin bond!