Hi Foaper!
We’re excited to share with you today an interview with the winner of the “Professionals of Tomorrow” Mission by the Volvo Group.
Jessica Smith (@jessiejanesmith), from Wisconsin, is a mother of 7 incredible “Professionals of tomorrow”. Yes! She has 7 children. Her great capture of her son, a future engineer at Volvo (?), gave her the Mission reward.
Today we ask her about her thoughts on the future of her children and the story behind her winning photo.
Jessica congratulations on winning the Mission! How does it feel to win a Mission by such a big brand as Volvo Group?
Thank you so much! I feel grateful, surprised, amazed, and honored! I am amazed that Volvo Group chose my photo to be the winner of their Mission, particularly because there were so many fantastic photos. Volvo Group is a big brand, so I count it such an honor for them to find my photo useful. It’s still a little hard to fathom that a brand I’ve been familiar with since I was a small child (my grandparents always drove Volvo automobiles) will be using my photo; and it is so interesting to be able to know how that Volvo Group company plans to use it!
The Mission was about the “Professionals of tomorrow”. As you’re a mother of seven kids, how do you imagine their future, their professional life?
Sometimes I get so caught up in the daily necessities that I forget my kids won’t be babies in a few years 🙂 It takes perspective to remember that the simple, elementary math we’re working on may one day become the complex formulas of a pilot. Much like every other parent, I envision my children as having bright, promising futures; I see so much potential in each of them! My husband and I strive to teach them to love learning and to be diligent in their work. Of course I hope for them that they will have the opportunity to become a professional at something they love to do- and they are each so different! Their dreams are inspired by the people they know and the books they read. Right now, my four older boys (11, 9, 8, 4) envision operating heavy equipment, flying airplanes, fighting fires, and farming/ranching.
The title of your winning photo is “Professionals Learn from Yesterday”. What did you mean by naming it that way?
I chose the title because in every profession, progress can only be made after having a foundational understanding of what is already known. So much can be learned from the past, but in our fast-paced world today, we often forget about the past. I feel that my kids will benefit from understanding how things worked in days gone by, if for nothing else than appreciation and gratitude for what they are experiencing today.
Now, let’s focus on the photo itself. It’s so lovely. How did you come up with it and what’s the story behind it?
Thank you for the compliment 🙂 My son in the photo is eight years old; he is very curious, and loves to take things apart and try to discover how they work. I promised my curious son that he could help me with a project – he was very eager! I really wanted a macro lens to use with my iPhone, so my husband gave me his old point and shoot film camera to dismantle for the lens.There were many, many tiny, tight screws, but we managed to perform the operation. My son indeed enjoyed seeing the intricate innards of the camera, we successfully extracted the lens, and I had the opportunity to capture the moment.
Jessica, thank you! We wish you lots of wonderful family moments. Best wishes for you and your 7 Professionals of Tomorrow.
