Tell me about yourself.

I'm a stay-at-home mom who chose to pause her career to care for two daughters. I was born in Korea and lived half of my life in Korea and the other half in America.

How has your photo shoot experience shaped how you view yourself?

Growing up, I never thought of myself as beautiful. I grew up in a culture where western features, such as double-eyelids, a v-shaped jawline, and a perfectly shaped high nose, are deemed more beautiful than traditional Korean features, like monolid, a rounded jawline, a flatter nose. I've heard time and time again how unattractive I looked and how I would need several plastic surgeries once I've become an adult. Then I came to America in my teenage years. People told me how beautiful I looked, and I never believed a single word they said. Only after I had my daughters, who have my eyes, nose, and jawline, have I truly appreciated my beauty. To me, they look perfect the way they are, and I wouldn't change a single thing about them. When I saw Kelsey's photos, I saw my daughters in me. I saw my grandmother in me as well. I saw my headstrong personality shine through. She captured me perfectly, and I am grateful.

What message would you like to give other women that are going through a difficult time in life and might not feel worthy?

It's challenging to accept our own beauty. We go through many different phases of life, and so does our body. Social media platforms are constantly bombarding us with perfectly staged pictures of beautiful women. We need to stop criticizing ourselves. We need to accept that we all look different, and that is okay. Accept where we are and what we have been through, and strive for healthy, not someone else's standard of beauty.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Haha, here we go: Invest in stocks. Read more books. It's okay to be different.

What would you tell other women about stepping out of their comfort zone and doing a photo shoot?

I asked Kelsey to take pictures of me as naturally as possible. She took the time to understand who I am, and we enjoyed talking to each other during the photoshoot. With her as a guide, it was easy to pose and still feel like my own self.