By Celica Cook, SBM Student Life Editor
Katie McGonigal is a junior Human Resource Development and Family Science major with a couple tattoos she got in the name of faith, friendship, and close family relationships. Not only do her tattoos look beautiful, they represent something beautiful as well. This is what Katie shared about her tattoos.
What tattoos do you have,and what is the meaning behind them?
“I have two tattoos. The first is a cross on my ankle. My current best friend and I always joked in middle school how we’d get matching tattoos, so last summer she jokingly texted me ‘Let’s get matching tattoos.’ I took it seriously and we went to some random parlor and did it. For me it’s a reminder of my faith, but also reminds me of my sister in Christ.
My second holds a lot of meaning to me. It’s my mother’s handwriting from a birthday card that says ‘Love you Katie bug- Mom’ with a daisy underneath. My mother was my best friend in the entire world. We did literally everything together. She was the most loving woman with a passion and gift for children with special needs. When she passed from bladder cancer in 2018 I was a wreck and lost. I went down a pretty dark path for a bit. I decided to get this tattoo as a reminder to help remind myself of the love my mother had for me, but also as a reminder to live my life as she did by serving others, loving God, and having a passion for children. She is my motivation to continue my goal in helping children with special needs as an early intervention specialist.”
Do you plan on getting any more tattoos?
“I absolutely plan to get more. My hope is to get a simple back tattoo soon with either the script ‘thy will be done’ down my spine, or another daisy on my back.”
What is your advice for someone who is getting their first tattoo?
“My advice for anyone wanting to get a tattoo is to just do it, but make sure it’s something you are okay seeing on you forever, and find an artist you can trust; there are so many great ones around here.”