Jamie

In 2019, with a six-week-old baby, I left an abusive relationship and became a single mother. Nine months later, my job was eliminated. I had a 10-month-old and only 44 cents to my name when I took a leap and started Jamie Robarge Photography LLC. Today, I’m a proud freelance entrepreneur and a 100% solo mom to my beautiful five-year-old and one-year-old.

My parents are retired city and state workers who believe in hard work and prioritizing education. When they divorced in 2001, I watched my mother work tirelessly from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. to make ends meet. She spent years taking on low-paying summer jobs to cover the cost of private education for my brother and me. Through her selflessness, I learned unconditional love. Through her perseverance, I learned never to give up.

Being a solo parent has challenges, and it wasn’t part of my original plan. But my children are the greatest gifts in my life. The year I became a mother, I also became an entrepreneur. My children remind me not to settle, showing me that incredible things happen when you work hard and give back. They teach me to slow down, to care for myself, and to keep pushing forward.

Every day, I get to live the life I dreamed of and, in doing so, show my children they can grow up to be whoever they want to be.