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Monthly Beauties | Mariagrazia Buttitta

Mariagrazia is wearing a striped long sleeve dress shirt and a suit jacket. She’s smiling while crossing her arms.

Monthly Beauties | Mariagrazia Buttitta

Meet The Faces of Bold Blind Beautiful & Accomplished Women

Representation Matters! Bold Blind Beauty believes that “Real Beauty Transcends Barriers” and March’s cover model, Mariagrazia Buttitta is an example of our belief.

I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with Mariagrazia a few times and from our first conversation I felt a real connection. What I like most about Mariagrazia is her transparency I enjoyed listening to her story and the background of her rare eye disease. In an effort to find a cure for her eye disease, Mariagrazia was uprooted from her native country and relocated here in the US.

Below are some words of wisdom from Mariagrazia and below her Beyond Sight Magazine cover is her bio where you can learn a little more of her story. Enjoy! ~Steph

I do not let others’ perceptions of me shape my vision for my future. Instead, I walk confidently with Casper the white cane and sunglasses, and I lead the way.

~Mariagrazia Buttitta
Mariagrazia is sitting down in the sand and meditating. She is wearing her sunglasses and is facing the ocean. Behind her are some beach homes.

My name is Mariagrazia Buttitta and I am a National Certified Counselor, author, motivational speaker, career coach, and mental health and disability advocate to name a few. I emphasize my accomplishments because, as an individual who is legally blind and lives with a rare and complex eye condition called cone dystrophy, I take pride in my work. More importantly, I want others to understand that cone dystrophy isn’t a barrier to me and it does not define me. However, the world’s lack of understanding and stigma surrounding blindness and low vision does affect me.

Mariagrazia is sitting down and smiling while holding a white cane. She is wearing black pants and a white and black long sleeve dress shirt.

As a recent full-time hire at Monmouth University, I will have an opportunity as a career coach to help students build confidence in their future aspirations. I aspire to serve as a role model and demonstrate how our differences and challenges don’t have to limit our futures. I will encourage them to focus on their strengths and credentials and never let their challenges hold them back.

Mariagrazia is facing her back wearing a white long sleeve dress shirt. She is holding a mirror in front of her. The mirror shows her reflection.

No matter what people have said about me over the years, I choose to keep my head up, surround myself with positive people, and envision my future. I do not let others’ perceptions of me shape my vision for my future. Instead, I walk confidently with Casper the white cane and sunglasses, and I lead the way. One day, those who criticized me will see what I truly see—a life filled with opportunities. Cone dystrophy doesn’t define me; it refines me.

Beyond Sight Magazine Cover

Beyond Sight Magazine cover: Mariagrazia is wearing a striped long sleeve dress shirt and a suit jacket. She’s smiling while crossing her arms. Text on the cover reads “Beyond Sight March 2022 | Monthly Beauties | Mariagrazia Buttitta”

Mariagrazia’s Bio

The book cover reads the following: book title; Now I See: How I Battled Blindness, Mental Illness, an Espresso Habit and Lived to Tell the Tale. A memoir Mariagrazia Buttitta and forward by Kevin Hines. The front of the cover shows Mariagrazia sitting down and smiling while holding a white cane. She is wearing black pants and a white and black long sleeve dress shirt. In the background is a zoomed picture of Mariagrazia’s face.

A native Sicilian-Italian speaker, Mariagrazia Buttitta is a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC), author, motivational speaker, career coach, wellness and health enthusiast, and a passionate mental health and disability advocate. Mariagrazia holds a master’s degree in Arts in Counseling: Clinical Mental Health Counseling from The College of New Jersey. Mariagrazia –– the author of, Now I See: How I Battled Blindness, Mental Illness, an Espresso Habit and Lived to Tell the Tale, regularly educates and speaks to college students and organizations about her blindness and her battle with depression and anxiety. Learn more about Mariagrazia by visiting, www.embracingyourdifferences.com.

Connecting With Mariagrazia

Image descriptions:

  • The cropped header photo is identical to the image used on the Beyond Sight Magazine cover. Mariagrazia is wearing a striped long sleeve dress shirt and a suit jacket. She’s smiling while crossing her arms. Text on the cover reads “Beyond Sight March 2022 | Monthly Beauties | Mariagrazia Buttitta”
  • Mariagrazia is sitting down in the sand and meditating. She is wearing her sunglasses and is facing the ocean. Behind her are some beach homes.
  • Mariagrazia is sitting down and smiling while holding a white cane. She is wearing black pants and a white and black long sleeve dress shirt.
  • Mariagrazia is facing her back wearing a white long sleeve dress shirt. She is holding a mirror in front of her. The mirror shows her reflection.
  • The book cover reads the following: book title; Now I See: How I Battled Blindness, Mental Illness, an Espresso Habit and Lived to Tell the Tale. A memoir Mariagrazia Buttitta and forward by Kevin Hines. The front of the cover shows Mariagrazia sitting down and smiling while holding a white cane. She is wearing black pants and a white and black long sleeve dress shirt. In the background is a zoomed picture of Mariagrazia’s face.
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