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March 08, 2024
By Renata O'Donnell Photography
Today, for the "Women's History Month" project celebration, I would like to introduce this gorgeous young woman.
Meet Allyson Fournier, 23, a daughter, a sister, a poet and a kind loving human being..
“Miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of us to see.” C.S. Lewis
I am from Biddeford, ME and have spent my whole life here, except for the years I spent in Wenham Massachusetts for college. I had the blessing of growing up with all my relatives within a half hour of my house, and having family close by really helped shape who I am. I have extremely close relationships with my family, both immediate and extended, and am so thankful for the opportunity I’ve had to build those relationships. My extremely close relationships with each of my grandparents is something that I treasure and do not take for granted.
While I haven’t lived anywhere other than Maine (and Massachusetts), I have had the opportunity to do a lot of traveling with my family and have been to 49 states (with just Hawaii left to conquer!) I’ve explored a lot of our country’s national parks, my favorite so far being Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska. My sister and I got to go on a backcountry adventure in sea kayaks and it was a life changing experience. My sister has always been my best friend, and my relationship with her has been one of the biggest blessings in my life. I also have very close relationships with my parents. Getting to navigate life with my family by my side is something I’m incredibly thankful for.
I graduated from Gordon College with a B.S. in biology and a minor in chemistry. During my time in college I also trained in Army ROTC (prior to a medical disqualification) and then became a student athlete, playing DIII tennis. I had the opportunity to do research with one of my biology professors (studying the effects of signal compounds on chromosome doubling in microspore embryogenesis in wheat plants) and am a coauthor with him in a scientific journal publication.
Currently, I am working in landscaping and construction. Right now I am the only woman at the company I work for, and I am also the only woman on almost every job site. While that environment can be challenging at times, it’s given me a wonderful opportunity to contribute to the workplace culture as the company I work for has grown. I love the hands-on physical labor and have learned invaluable skills that I can take with me for the rest of my life.
I will be taking some time off from work soon to go to Guatemala for a month-long missionary internship. I will be working with Faith in Action Ministries, an organization I did a short-term mission trip with last year. I will be traveling to remote villages, helping build churches, distribute food, clothing, and supplies, share my testimony, and connect with the local children (among many other things!) Most importantly, I wil be able to help spread the gospel to the unreached people in Guatemala and tell them all about how Jesus saved my life.
Life challenges? How did you overcome them?
In the 23 years that I have been alive, I have faced many challenges that have had a role in shaping me into the person that I am today. From injuries and surgeries to working in male-dominated fields and facing grief and loss, there have been a lot of challenges I have had to overcome. However, one of the biggest ones has been my battle with mental illness, something I still struggle with today. I have long battled with depression and anxiety (OCD). I used to think that I needed to be healed and whole for me to have a testimony to share and for God to use my story to help others, but I have learned that God meets me in my brokenness and that His power is made perfect through my weaknesses because His grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12). Jesus Christ is the only reason I am still here today. He has carried me through the darkest and scariest moments of my life when I couldn’t go on on my own. It is His strength that gets me through each day and all the challenges I face. It is His redeeming work on the cross that allows me to be forgiven and set free. And it is His love that I seek to pour out for others. My hope and my purpose are found in Him.
Life achievements?
As a recent college graduate, I don’t have many life achievements yet (at least not in the professional world). Getting some of my research published with my professor and graduating suma cum laude are some worldly accomplishments I have reached. However, one of the things I am most proud of is the way I have fought to stay here and work towards healing. I am proud of the lessons I have learned, the ways I have grown, and the scars that remind me of the battles I’ve fought and of God’s grace, love, and mercy. I am thankful that He is using my story and what I’ve gone through to help others who are going through suffering or face challenges similar to those that I have faced. Worldly achievements are temporary; I am thankful for the opportunity to be Jesus’s hands and feet and to do His work while I am here.
What are your passions?
Some of my passions include hiking, lifting, poetry, woodworking, painting and other forms of art. I am a self-professed science nerd who loves birding and medicinal botany. I am also an avid hiker and am working on summiting all 67 of the 4,000 footers in New England (right now I’m at 21). I am passionate about protecting God’s creation and love spending as much time in nature as possible.
I am also passionate about writing poetry. Poetry has been an incredible outlet for me to cope with depression and anxiety, describe the things I am experiencing in a way that my spoken words cannot, and a medium through which I can share God’s love and glorify Him. My poems are often raw and vulnerable in nature, capturing the highest of highs, lowest of lows, and everything in between. I am inspired by David and the other psalmists in the bible who didn’t shy away from talking about the hard things in life, but rather captured the full range of human emotion in their psalms. My poetry seeks to do the same. I hope to one day publish a poetry book that may help others that are going through similar struggles to my own.
“I’m realizing I’m not an anomaly
I’m a piece of Japanese pottery
With cracks and imperfections filled in with gold Deemed more beautiful after being broken, I’m told”
- Allyson Fournier
What do you value most in life?
I value my faith, my family, my freedom, and my morals.
Advice for other women?
Don’t conform to the world, and know that you are loved by God.
Another one of Allyson's favorite quotes:
“If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.” - C.S. Lewis
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Thank you, Allie , for sharing your story and empowering others!
#womenshistorymonth #womansupportingwomen #womanpower #mainephotographer