# data[].attributes.body
My name is Aimee Porter and I live in the Santa Monica Mountains near Los Angeles, California. I have been married for 31 years and have seen our three children go through the different stages of child development. They are 24, 18 and 15 years old. My two youngest are internationally adopted from Guatemala and China. I take any opportunity I get to travel in the world and try to leave something positive behind.

I have always had a heightened sensitivity to the special qualities and conditions surrounding babies and children, and studied child development while in high school, where I first learned about Pacific Oaks College from my teacher who thought it would be a good match for me. I earned an AA in Child Development studied at various community colleges and taught preschool for a few years before becoming become a portrait and commercial photographer specializing in children of diverse backgrounds.

Many years later, I returned to school and graduated from Pacific Oaks with a BA in human development/ECE, in 2016.
During the years I had a photography company, I co-authored two photo essay books: Blessings and Gems and Welcome to the World: a Globally- Inspired baby book.

As far as my future professional goals, I have been volunteering for the past few years with Central American refugee children at a sanctuary church with a group of trauma therapists and I would like to have more to offer this community.  I am specifically interested in the trauma studies aspect of this program and how immigration affects children and what can be done about it. I have also been involved in creating curriculum around character development, cultural values, and life skills for Lakota youth living on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. I’m in this program because I would like to become more of a specialist and advocate for children everywhere.

Though I do not consider myself a political person, I see how impacted human rights are since the election of 2016, and I have been more involved in marches, rallies, and advocacy than ever before. Like many women across our country, I am now an activist.

The photos I chose to share represent the people and beliefs closest to my heart.

# data[].attributes.body
Aimee Porter~Masters in Early Childhood Education/Trauma Studies