Owen was born in Winterport, Maine in 1984. She grew up in a loving home with supportive parents and cherished time with her grandmothers. Owen was very social and active in high school and enjoyed dancing. After high school, she studied cosmetology but struggled financially on her own. Owen married her husband Rick in 2012 and they have been together for over 8 years. She is now pursuing her bachelor's degree in social work and is excited for the future.

1. Owen’s Story

2. Owen was born on December 31, 1984 in Winterport, Maine.
She loves to laugh and her smile is contagious.

5. Owen grew up in a very
safe and loving home. Her
parents have always
adored her and believed in
her.
Owen’s father is a Social
Worker and her mother is
a high school guidance
counselor.

9. Growing up, Owen cherished the time spent
with her grandparents. She was very close
with her grandmothers.
“My parents always joked that I was my
grandmothers child. My parents are very
shy and love to be home. My grandmothers,
both, were extremely social, easy going, and
vivacious.”

12. “I was a very active kid who loved playing outside,
sports, music, and Disney movies.”
“I am very out going, love to laugh, loyal and
adventurous. I danced for 16 1/2 years. Jazz, tap, hip
hop.”

13. “I always wished I was Anne of Green Gables. I use to draw
freckles on my face with my mom's brown eye liner or the
Little Mermaid.”
“I use to believe that the fireworks on my birthday were solely
for me.”
“Christmas is my favorite holiday because of the white lights,
the smell of evergreen and time with my family.”

14. “Being an only child I was always starved
for companionship. I was fortunate enough
to get the opportunity to choose my sisters,
they all bring different elements to my life. I
am so very lucky! I also have two younger
girl cousins who have always been like little
sisters to me, they are very important to me.”
Owen holds her friendships close to her heart. She has been best
friends with the same group of girls since childhood.

15. Owen holding her cousin

16. During the Summer of eighth grade, Owen’s parents
separated and her mom told the family that she was gay.
Owen remembers having a conversation with her Dad
speaking about the marriage being broken but not the
parental relationships. This Conversation with her Dad
helped her with feeling safe and she gained an understanding
that people have their own journeys. Her parents were
wonderful during their separation as they never argued in her
presence.
“I am an only child so I was always the center of my parents
world and continued to be after their divorce. I will always
be grateful for their love and support. ”
“I chose to stay with my dad when my parents
divorced and I believe that has resulted in our very
close relationship. Before they divorced we traveled
a lot as a family, I was very fortunate.”

17. Owen went to high school at Hamden Academy in
Winterport.
“I have always been very social, so in high school relationships
were more important to me than academics. I was a B student
but because of all the different social groups I belonged to I
wasn't treated very well by faculty.”

18. After High school, Owen was Indecisive about going to College although she had thoughts of
becoming a lawyer. Her father was very supportive about any decision she wanted to make
about her future and her mother supported the idea of her going to college.
Owen decided to attend school at Southern Maine Community College studying at The Spa
Tech School of Cosmetology in Portland. During this time she moved from Winterport into
her own apartment in Portland.
Owen found that it was hard maintaining her own apartment and going to school full time.
There were times when she was not able to pay rent, buy groceries, or pay for electricity.
Making ends meet was very difficult.
Having the support of parents was her safety net. Without their support she may have been
homeless.
This was a period of Independence and growth. Owen made many wonderful connections
with people during this time as well.

19. “My time at Spa Tech was very life changing. I was 18,
living in my own apartment, working 2 jobs and attending
school full time. The program has a minimum time line of 10
1/2 months, I completed the program in 11. During this time I
was very poor and really learned who I was. I was alone in
my apartment a lot because most of my friends were away at
college. This time reinforced how lucky I was to have the
parents that I do and how truly deep my independence ran.”

20. In June 2011, Owen’s Memere passed away. Memere was
one of her most favorite people. She was colorful with a warm
and loving personality.
“I wear my Memere's ring every day and it is a constant
reminder to stay grounded.”

21. On Owen’s 21st birthday she planned a trip with her best friends to go to
Spain & Italy but plans changed and they traveled to Paris & Italy.
This was an amazing experience as Owen was able to learn & explore.
“It was my first time across a different continent and I was so grateful to have spent
it with 3 great friends. It was a trip of a life time!”

23. Owen met Rick shortly after her trip abroad with friends.

24. Owen married Rick in 2012.
Planning the wedding wasn’t an easy task as many family members and
friends needed to travel.
The wedding turned out to be amazing. Friends and family from all over
were able to attend and were so supportive. Owen and Rick have been
together for 8 ½ years.

25. ”I am so lucky to have the relationship I do with Rick. He is
unconditionally supportive and loves me so completely. I have
been in school since I have known him and he has always
understood the importance of completing my education. We
were married on our 6 year anniversary, it was very special.
Our wedding was one of the most perfect experiences I have
ever had, pure bliss.”

26. Owen’s very best friends were there to
share her special day.

27. “I went to SMCC and graduated with my associates in liberal
studies. I then transferred into USM as a junior and chose
psychology because I really saw myself working with people as
a counselor or another form of support. ”
Owen is now pursuing Social Work.
“I am excited for the future. I'm excited to see what it holds
and where my journey will take me!”

28. “I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will
be better tomorrow. I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles
these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. I've learned that
regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your
life. I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as making a "life." I've learned that
life sometimes gives you a second chance. I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a
catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back. I've learned that
whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. I've learned
that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one. I've learned that every day you should reach
out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. I've learned
that I still have a lot to learn. I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget
what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
― Maya Angelou