When in April of 2011 I lost my mother to breast cancer, I also lost my way. Perseverance and a never give up attitude is certainly something I learned from my Italian American upbringing as well as a love of writing, reading books and the arts. Navigating the grieving process, I turned to writing as a healing tool. I started simply. I would wake in the morning and read from a book that resonated with me.

Breaking Beautiful was my first organized effort to advocate for myself and other women. Throughout girlhood, I had received the message that beauty should look a certain way from the media and society. My hair, my body, my skin were all an affront to this standardized definition. As I looked around my college campus, I saw a world of beauty to be celebrated. My intention with this portrait series was to reclaim our power as women to define beauty for ourselves and to give voice to the uniqueness of each individual.

When I read the prompt, I knew I wanted to do a food recipe that reflected how strong my mom is. Strength can be shown in different ways and one of those ways is through adaptability and making the best of what you have. My mom has always inspired me to be a better person and an even better baker. I created Girls Gotta Eat Good Asian Bakery because she taught me to love food and to share that love with everyone.