New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
Meet Danielle Lopez, 21-year-old Honors student at Bridgewater State University.
She is currently studying in Biology with the intention of obtaining her Doctorate in Dental Medicine. Although her current is very promising, thing’s haven’t always been so great.
When Danielle was just 8 years old, her mother was working to two jobs just take care of her and her 3 siblings. Due to unfortunate circumstances, she lost both of her jobs and was unable to find another position that would be able to support the entire family. Due to the jobs her mom held, she always found herself just above the poverty line, so they weren’t eligible for assistance during this period.
Shorty after, they lost their apartment and were forced to live in a tent at a local campground. For the next 3 months they bathed in coin operated showers and commuted back to New Bedford from Rochester for school and work. While her mother continued to work at her new job and strive to restore their living situation, they were eventually blessed with an RV to stay in.
Fast forward 13 years later, Danielle looks back at her mother’s sacrifice and perseverance, thankful that she learned what she had at such a young age. She also reflects on the time she spent at Dennison Memorial in the wake of these events, which really sculpted and molded her desire to learn. This has manifested itself in her current position, striving to create a better life for herself and her future family.
“The position you are in now isn’t where you are going to be forever, but if you don’t change the things you do then you are going to just perpetuate the cycle.”
Faces of New Bedford is a project by Colton Simmons. If you are interested in booking a shoot or getting prints from the series email all inquiries to colton@coltonsimmons.com
Follow Colton on Instagram: https://instagram.com/simmonscolton
