Bradford Senior | Laughter, Ukuleles & Monkey Toes
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Written by Amber - |
Meet Selena. You can find her pretty red hair and contagious smile at Bradford High School (Kenosha, WI) for a little while longer. Selena is graduating soon! It was a true pleasure to get to know her at her senior portrait session. She's one of the most unique people I've met, with lots of hidden talents and hobbies that make her who she is. Selena had some fun ideas for shots that made her session memorable and special. Read and see why we fell in love with Selena...
Looking back on her time at Bradford, it's tough for Selena to pick a favorite memory. "Honestly, any time I was spending in a group of people at any event. The few football games I attended, homecoming, talent shows, plays put on by Bradford. It's all a good memory!"
Selena is fully dedicated to anything she's a part of. "I was a cellist in the Bradford chamber orchestra, leader in Environmental club, and a tutor at the Kenosha Literacy council. They all gave me such different experiences. I couldn't possibly pick a favorite!"
She's got a big heart & she draws inspiration from many things. Selena says recently she's been inspired by the Kenosha Literacy Council where she tutors. "They take people who know little to no English and transform them into fluent speakers and writers. It's a difficult journey to make. Tutoring these students (most of whom at least double me in age) inspires me so much," Selena said. "It is almost like they are children again, getting excited because they know a new word. Their desire to learn makes me want to do the best I can in life because I have it much easier than a lot of people."
Inspiration isn't the only thing that drives Selena though. "Honestly, my biggest driver is failure. Right after I fail something I give up and then I get super frustrated and that frustration pushes me through." And there's always that helpful little gem from her parents that reminds, "Just because you can doesn't mean you should."
Selena was totally at peace with her ukulele in hand—and so were we! While we shot, she plucked some billboard favorites with sweet Hawaiian flair. How fun! I asked her if she had any other unique hobbies. Her response? "I make weird noises a lot. Like all the time. It's almost become a hobby." Ha!
And if you thought she was a talented ukulelist, get a load of this: "Well I kind of have monkey toes. One time I drew my friend a picture using only my feet. It was in colored pencil. Granted it was a elementary style drawing, I still call it a talent." :)
Obviously Selena loves music. She says her favorite band will always be a tie between Pink Floyd and The Beatles. She loves any movie Will Ferrel is in and her favorite food is always bread. "White bread, wheat bread, italian bread, rye bread, sourdough, yum. Whenever I go over to my grandma's house she makes sure to have a full loaf there for me!"
To Selena's underclassmen, she leaves the advice, "Don't worry about trying to be the coolest or most popular or about getting that 'perfect relationship.' None of it will matter later if you weren't being yourself." To her fellow graduating seniors, she encourages, "Get through college even if you're crawling by the end."
Selena says there are people from her school she will miss terribly after graduation. She'll be heading to UW Stevens Point. "I haven't completely decided on a major yet. They have this Adventure Education Minor and that sounds like too much fun! It would hardly be considered school! I want to be a park ranger though." She says she'd skip the cubical to work at a national park in the forest, mountains or canyon any day.
I loved watching Selena and her step-sister, Sam, interact together—so sweet. They are both seniors at Bradford and have been "sisters" for most of their lives. Selena said, "My photo shoot was a blast! I really liked that I could do it with my sister by my side, it made me feel more comfortable. As did Amber & Chad!"
Selena, we we had a blast with you, too! We wish you the best of luck next year at UW Stevens Point. With your infectious laughter, ukulele skills and endless potential in your monkey toes, you will have absolutely no problem making friends. Haha! Have fun!