Malina plays the violin. For her personal session, she wanted to celebrate her 13th birthday. She decorated her own outfit for that part of her individual photoshoot. She wanted to have all of her baby photos spread out on the ground where she is sitting for the photos. She also wanted balloons. When I picked up the balloons for her session, they ran out of the number 1 balloon. SO, in the video, it may look like she’s turning 73 but she’s not, obvi.

Being in Fearless Spirit helped Malina to feel less insecure about herself and found her confidence boosted. She will miss getting to see her friends and Casey all the time, as well as the positive environment the program presented. Her favorite session was the Smoke Machine one. One of Malina’s fondest memories is when they were all laughing and having a good time during the neon/glow-in-the-dark shoot. Malina would like to tell anyone considering the Fearless Spirit program to do it, as the positive environment is an amazing confidence booster and overall, the program presents such an amazing and unique experience. She will miss Casey and the girls a lot, and she wants them to know that she will come back to all of the subsequent Fearless Spirit fashion shows to see her friends and support the new models.

What Malina’s Mom had to say about Ericka’s experience on the crew: 

“It’s hard to put into words what Casey has given my daughter Malina and to us as a family. When she first walked through your doors, she was quiet, unsure of herself, and struggling to see her own worth. But through Casey’s incredible gift not just as a photographer, but as a person who truly sees people and captures their beauty.She helped my daughter discover a confidence we hadn’t seen in her before. Session by session, smile by smile, Casey showed her that she is strong, beautiful, and enough just as she is. The change in her has been unbelievable, and as a parent, watching your child start to believe in herself… it means everything. Thank you, Casey, for helping her see what we’ve always seen and for capturing that light so beautifully. We love you and appreciate you so much.”