Meet Araceli Sanchez

We were lucky to catch up with Araceli Sanchez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Araceli, we’ve been so fortunate to work with so many incredible folks and one common thread we have seen is that those who have built amazing lives for themselves are also often the folks who are most generous. Where do you think your generosity comes from?

When I asked myself “where does your generosity come from?”, my first thought was – dad, of course. This is because my dad is the most generous person you will ever meet. Then I realized knowing generous people doesn’t automatically make you a generous person. I know people that are surrounded with generosity, very blessed, but are very much selfish.

My second thought was, knowing what it’s like not to have. So when I have, I give. I always use the ‘cheese’ example with my students, I tell them that when I was growing up my parents had just purchased a house and although I didn’t realize it at the time, we lived on a tight budget. So much so, that when my parents bought a ‘queso fresco’, we were only allowed a small piece of it. It needed to last long and we all needed to eat from it. Nowadays, I buy the double pack of queso fresco and I allow my daughters to each as much as they’d like. There is always more than enough food available for my daughters and students because I don’t want them to feel ’lucky to have gotten a slice’. I want them to feel blessed and enjoy the cheese… all of it if necessary.

As I thought about the question further, I realized that although my personality, my emotions, and my values are a big part of why I am so generous, the truth is that my generosity comes from my gratitude. I am so thankful for all of the blessings I have received and will continue to receive. Part of my daily prayer is, “God, please continue to bless me so that I can bless those around me” and he has never failed. Even when I was at rock bottom, I knew that in itself was a blessing. I knew I had the resilience to overcome it, learn from it, and help those around me so that they wouldn’t have to go through it themselves. I live by “ count your blessings, be a blessing”.

Generosity doesn’t always come in tangible form. Many people think being generous means giving people money or buying people gifts. I’ve learned that being generous is giving someone a part of your light whether it may be your time, a shoulder to cry on, a smile, or even kind words. My generosity comes from knowing what it’s like not to have, having and giving as much as possible, and being so grateful for the opportunity to give that it’s become a part of my unshakable certainty in my energy.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

When people ask me what I do, I answer ‘I am a high school Guidance Counselor and I own a photography business’. On top of being a mom, I am both a photographer and a counselor. Service is my focus both professionally and personally. I serve my community, I serve my students and I serve my clients.

Finding opportunities to give back is the most exciting part of my life. Teaching others the importance of growing and giving back is just as great.

As a photographer, I have started a mentorship program within Picture Perfect this past year. It has allowed students to shadow me at photo sessions, get one-on-one time to learn more about their cameras as well as techniques in directing, capturing, and editing – all for free!

In just a few short weeks, I will launch 1 on 1 Photography Classes. The preliminary bundle includes 3 hours of learning (in-person or online) and a workbook I’ve created for $150. These students will also receive the opportunity to practice the techniques they learned at my scheduled sessions throughout the year. The second phase of the classes will focus completely on post production techniques.

The reason why I have decided to monetize the classes is because I wanted to raise more funding for scholarships. This will be the second year I award scholarships to graduating seniors with a passion for photography and business. I hope to double the scholarships and be able to give four this year.

As a counselor, I will soon be launching the 2nd Annual Chromebook’s for College Fundraiser. The majority of the students I serve cannot afford to buy their own laptops. Unfortunately, for our graduating seniors, they will need to submit the Chromebooks provided by the district at the end of the academic year.

I first became aware of this issue when I had graduates ask to keep their Chromebooks through the summer so that they can complete their internships which had an online requirement. The following academic year, I was able to fundraise for seven laptops that were raffled out during the Decision Day celebration at the end of the year. I have a goal of obtaining 15 Chromebooks this year, I am currently at five

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Life-Long Learning: It is key to understand the importance of being a life-long learner. Knowledge is something that absolutely no-one can take away from you. It is so valuable. You must continue to learn and grow because knowledge is power.

Resilience: Realizing that you have the power to withstand difficulties is just as important. Everyone faces their share of adversities. Find your strength within. You are not alone, you won’t be the first and you surely won’t be the last one to go through it. Learn and help those around you so that you can save them from having to be as strong as you.

Positivity: Being able to go through some tough times in my life but still seeing the light was key to my growth. More importantly, being the light others needed to see – that changes you.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

The most impactful thing my parents did for my siblings and I was to provide a happy and peaceful home. Living a simple life taught us that we don’t need material things to be happy or to feel fulfilled. Demonstrating a healthy relationship, helped guide the types of partners we accepted. My parent’s marriage set high standards for us all. Although, these things may sound silly it is actually very rare nowadays. I am eternally grateful for this and all of the values they’ve instilled in me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.beepictureperfect.com
• Instagram: @beepctrprfct or @xoceli
• Facebook: Picture Perfect (page) or Araceli Sanchez
• Linkedin: Araceli Sanchez
• Twitter: @xoceli
• Other: TikTok: @xoceli

Image Credits

My own photos.