Incoming freshman participate in a glow zone party on Wednesday, Aug. 21st, 2019 during WKU Master Plan, an orientation program for incoming freshman to adjust to college life.

My sibling, Johnica “Johni” Hubbard, 16, of Knoxville, Tenn. poses for a portrait in their bedroom in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021. Hubbard has created art since they began elementary school and plan to pursue art as a career after graduating high school. When asked about their creative process, Hubbard said they just “kind of boogy around” and express whatever they are feeling on paper or canvas. “I feel like my sexuality can definitely play a role in my art. I like drawing female bodies and showing all different types of women, rather than men,” Hubbard said.

Tarriona Ball, lead vocalist of Tank and the Bangas, performs a secret show at Barley's Taproom during the Rhythm and Blooms Festival in downtown Knoxville, Tenn.

Shonda Judy, 60, of Cynthiana, Ky., relaxes with a bubble bath after volunteering at the Cynthiana Animal Shelter. She uses passion for photography to help local animals get adopted. Shonda volunteers at the shelter by taking portraits of the animals and posting them on social media with a brief story about the animals' personality. "Dogs that I take pictures of and post don't get adopted because they look at it and think 'Oh I need a husky!'" she says. "They adopt the animal because they see a post and a picture of a dog named Jimmy who has a red pickup truck and they think 'Oh my grandpa's name was Jimmy and he drove a red pickup truck too! That dog needs me and I need that dog!' They can feel that connection with the animals and put a personality to the name."

Miss Lady Dior, 26, of Huntington, West Virginia applies fake eyelashes before performing in a drag show fundraiser hosted by the Southeastern Ohio Rainbow Alliance and Alzheimer’s Association at Eclipse Company Store in the Plains, Ohio on Sept. 26, 2021.

Sierra Belmares in the studio. April 2022

April Sanders, 53, of Pittsburgh, Pa., and Paco Rodriguez, 28, of Pittsburgh, Pa., work to set up the ferris wheel at the Noble County Fair in Caldwell, Ohio on Tuesday, Aug. 30th, 2021. “It really is hard work and it’s hard not getting to see our families year-round, but we make it work… At the end of the day, it’s the people that really make it all worth it,” Sanders said.

Eric Vasquez in the studio. Feb. 2020

Katie Green (left) and Lucy  McCormick (right) practice their cheer routine with the Roar Cheerleading Squad at The Buddy House in Bowling Green, Kentucky on Feb. 6, 2018. The Buddy House is a nonprofit organization that organizes activities to encourage equality for locals with Down syndrome."I really like to cheer now," Katie said, "My favorite part about it is getting to see all of my friends every week."

Abdullah Alshahri, a junior in the engineering program at Western Kentucky University, has been in the United States since 2013. “I used to watch a lot of American movies, like action movies, so when I came here I thought it would be more crazy and exciting,” he said. “It was hard to make friends at first because of the language. I only knew a little English so it was harder to talk to people at first, especially strangers. I found friends though. In the International Center there are people that understand my language and my home so it feels good.”