«I’m not a hero and I didn’t want to be. I don’t need pity either. What we mothers need is a system that understands what we go through and supports us so that we can be the best version of ourselves,» said photographer Julia Pontés.
A mother will give her all for her children because they know the responsibility that falls on her shoulders when it comes to raising a child. That is why their little ones will always be their priority, even in the most important moments of their lives.
This was demonstrated by Brazilian photographer Julia Pontés, who was recently seen holding her eight-month-old baby, Stella Lyra, during her graduation ceremony at Columbia University in Manhattan, New York, United States.
Julia Pontés
In a photo taken by Reuters, the 39-year-old woman can be seen dressed in her graduation gown and surrounded by her classmates, while the little girl accompanied her during this important moment. The photo quickly spread around the world and Julia told the story on her Instagram account.
«Few people know that, a little less than a year ago, I became a mother. I got pregnant during the pandemic when I was documenting the abuses of mining companies to communities in the Iron Quadrangle while studying through my online classes,» she said.
Julia Pontés
«In the midst of all the difficulties, in a movie-like scene that involved me getting on the last plane that allowed me to quarantine in a safe place, I made it back to Columbia. At that point, I hadn’t even had a house for more than four years,» she added.
Dealing with her studies and her role as a mother was no easy task, so successfully completing her classes makes her proud of her efforts. «Columbia has always been my dream school but being pregnant and a single parent proved to be a big challenge,» she said.
Julia Pontés
Added to that was the bad relationship and non-existence of her former partner. «On top of all this, the father of my daughter soon turned out to be an abusive person, and there were months of great suffering and I never told this story out of fear,» she said.
«And so, with a lot of hard work, we got to this place. It didn’t make sense not to have my daughter, who is the greatest achievement of my life, with me at my graduation. And she was there to show other mothers, other single mothers, and other immigrant mothers, that it is possible,» she added.
Reuters / Andrew Kelly
She stressed: «I’m not a hero and I didn’t want to be. I don’t need pity either. What we mothers need is a system that understands what we go through and supports us so that we can be the best version of ourselves».