Meet the Girls!

Grace Taylor Woolley

I have always loved to talk and connect with people. That became very apparent to everyone when at the age of three I sung my first solo in church and went around asking anyone within a 10-foot radius about their Halloween costumes. After they responded, I would promptly say, "I be a bat!" - a sure sign of my developing sociality. There were a few times my mom was genuinely warned to be more careful about my friendliness by well-meaning strangers in grocery stores. I have always felt the need to speak up. I've seen over and over again how each one of our opinions and experiences matter and need to be shared! There is light in each of us, and it needs to be seen and cultivated.  My greatest fascination is how to develop that light in ourselves and others. I love discovering other people.

Grace is a sophomore at Brigham Young University, studying Public Relations (hopefully), and working as a Tour Guide. She was raised in Southern California in her idea of the perfect little wanna-be small town. She is the dead-middle of five kids, the majority of whom are girls. Her dad was her best friend growing up and works as a Marriage and Family Therapist (which explains A TON about Grace and her thought processes). From a young age, she loved being center stage both in the community and the actual *ahem* stage. Her love of performing echoed in her accomplishments as she was crowned her home town's Pageant Queen. She loves music, singing, the question "why not?", eating chocolate, witty comments, and smiling at strangers. Her dream is to help every person, including herself, begin from where they are with the understanding that you can be happy in the present.

Meghan Leigh StirlingI am thinking that it's safe to say I am the epitome of a daddy's girl. He taught his daughter everything he knows, and as a football coach and PE/Health teacher, that basically pans out to mean that I am a sports fanatic and workout junky. You know that little girl from Remember The Titans? *This girl* I loved growing up to be that one woman that has every guy in a ten-seat radius wondering who the crap she is to be yelling technical jargon at the head coach. I was capable in the workout room from the age of 12. Despite my extensive background in health, I still struggled with body image and how the world viewed me (I guess no one is escaping that trap these days). But I found a power in sports that is hard to find elsewhere. There is a confidence that springs from taking care of your body and being a part of something bigger than yourself, and that is something that everyone should experience.

Meghan is a freshman at Brigham Young University, recently returned from her church mission in Japan. She is studying Exercise and Wellness (shocker) and working as a personal assistant to a fashion consultant. She was raised in the beautiful state of Colorado and is the oldest of two. Her mom and dad have been married for 25 years and instilled in her the image of what marriage should look like. She has a wonderful boyfriend of 3-plus years who has been a constant support and her best friend for longer than that. She likes quoting blockbusters, singing loudly, being wing-woman for her gorgeous best friends and rooting for the Broncos (when they don't die during the Super Bowl). She loves randomly speaking Japanese, being a beast at shortstop and making off-hand facetious commentary on everything. At the end of the day, she wants people to realize that they have the power to make good things happen in their lives, regardless of almost everything else.

The (Seriously) Dynamic DuoGrace and Meghan met their first semester at BYU as roommates...and almost instantly disliked one another. Grace's naturally unorganized lifestyle (and, most specifically, room) grinded on Meghan's need for order and Meghan's compulsiveness drove Grace half-crazy. It took hard reality checks, some tears, a few good laughs, and divine intervention followed up by good old hard work before Grace and Meghan realized their styles fit together more perfectly than they ever first imagined. Seeing that one of the passions they shared was pursuing truth and that they had some similar ideas that they didn't see in common culture, they determined to always use their friendship for the betterment of themselves and one another. Their friendship, born in adversity, is as tough as nails, and will last as long as they stay their stubborn selves!

Together they love country music, One Tree Hill, discussing controversial, political and religious material, pulling random all-nighters, drinking Martinelli's from wine glasses, inside jokes, and wedding pinterest.

As we have begun this endeavor to bring to light the truth concerning beauty and what makes us beautiful, we recognize that we may be looked down on whether because of age or experience, as well as other factors. Our response is that we have grown up in an increasingly toxic environment and have had great cause to learn what is real for themselves. We feel more than qualified to present our findings, and hope that others will come to agree.