Mary Ann grew up as a Black woman in a small town in Kentucky, often finding herself as the only person of color in the room. While it was frustrating to constantly have others point out her differences, those moments ultimately pushed her to become confident in her own skin and embrace what makes her unique. She’s deeply passionate about the arts; through years of professional ballet training, she learned how essential it is to be inspired by others so you can go on to create work that inspires, too. She’s been 5'9" since age nine, a fun fact that always surprises people. Photography brings her joy, especially the way a single image can hold emotion, detail, and story all at once. Dance remains her favorite form of self-expression as it is a way to communicate without words and let her true self shine. If her personality had a theme song, it would be “Daisies” by Justin Bieber.