A country girl can survive.

Yeah, yeah, I know. Hank Jr. sang boy and not girl, but I can't think of a better song to describe the young woman you're about to meet. When Jillian's ag teacher (and one of my best friends) Jenna asked me if I would take senior photos for her FFA chapter president, there was no way on God's green earth that I would have said no. We did a two-location session with Jillian on a beautiful Sunday morning starting at the Flambeau School in Tony, Wisconsin and ending at Josie Creek County Park a few miles away. Jenna and her three-year-old son, Ben, came along to help with posing and provide a little coming relief (#frickinmint).

Jillian is about one of the toughest and most no-nonsense gals I've met for anyone of any age group (let alone a senior in high school), and she's got her head screwed on tight. She works hard in and out of the classroom and drives a 1997 Ford powerstroke. A skilled welder and capable leader, she has her heart set on moving to Milwaukee and becoming an ironworker after graduation. It's a trick to get her to laugh, but when she does, wherever she is lights up with the glow of her megawatt smile.

Best wishes for a memorable senior year (in all the right ways, of course) and smooth entry into adulthood, Jillian! May your iron always be hot, may your oxyacetylene tanks be full, and may your welding helmet always feel like home.