I knew that I wanted to capture my service in the Dominican Republic through film before I went on the trip, but I never anticipated how much this trip would mean to me or how often I would go back to watch my footage. In the DR, my peers and I volunteered at the Mariposa Foundation, serving young girls that constantly battle poverty and gender inequities. The trip was a mind-body-soul retreat where I connected with myself, learned to be authentic, and sought the Lord in the beauty of nature and human connection. I stepped out of my comfort zone in many ways, one of them being an attempt to speak Spanish with the girls at Mariposa. I wanted to connect with them because, in the girls, I recognized the universal essence of sweet, bubbly, giggly girlhood. Although our lives have been and will continue to be completely different, the friendships between young Dominican girls remined me of my sweet, childhood friendships. 

“Blackbird” is a reflection of God's presence in my everyday life. Through the simple moments I’ve come to see his hand in everything. 

Google Drive: I See God in Everything

Tiktok: I See God in Everything