Tell us about yourself.

I am 26 years old; education-indentured, super into the color red, a big Taylor Swift fan, obsessed with true crime, pretty good at the game of golf, and the oldest of ten children (seven girls and three boys). My siblings and I are all biological, none of us are twins, and we all share the same two parents! I was born in Louisiana, raised in Indiana, and then I moved to Nashville, Tennessee when I was finally on my own. While in Nashville I got married to my best friend, an actual giant (his name is Michael and he is 6'6"), attended graduate school, worked as a division 1 collegiate golf coach, and applied to law schools all over the country. I was accepted to many, but I chose Indiana University. I'm now in my 2nd year (they say the first year is the worst, so I'm hoping that was true) and I love it more than anything I've ever done. I currently work for the Indiana State Police Department, and I'm interviewing with business firms and IP firms for next summer.  

In addition to my dream of being a lawyer, I've always wanted to model. For years I've looked into agencies, built a portfolio, and done free-lance work with friends, businesses, and acquaintances, but I never found the right place to sign me - until now! I'm so excited to be joining Hannah Noelle and finally pursuing modeling.

What is your biggest dream?

Honestly, there are three themes here: lawyer dreams, model dreams, and ridiculous fantasy dreams. I'll give you a synopsis.

1. I want to be a really incredible lawyer. I want to command a room, produce novel ideas and arguments that turn juries' ears, and I want to genuinely use that talent to give back to others. Even though I plan to pursue business law, I want to do pro-bono work to make a difference for minorities. I spent this summer abroad working in human rights law, specifically on asylum cases for refugees fleeing threats of death in Palestine, Ghana, Syria, and many other countries. This summer changed my life, and I want to further our progression as a country, making room for those who are different or who need help, and continue the mission of equal rights for all. 

2. My model dream is a little easier to explain - I want to use my platform to encourage others to be confident in themselves, no matter their shape, size, or color. I also REALLY want to be an Aerie model; I love their mission so much (and their clothes are pretty great too, which explains my closet). Lastly, a NYFW booking would probably make me cry (in a very good way).

3. My ridiculous fantasy dream is to meet and become friends with Taylor Swift. That's all.

What does it mean to be your own kind of beautiful?

I think it means that you shouldn't let the media, the world, or anyone else tell you what is beautiful. You are unique and beautiful regardless of who is on the cover of Vogue or who is walking the runway - stay confident in that!

Tell us about your modeling experience. 

As I said earlier, I've never signed with any agencies before, so I'm pretty new to this side of things. That being said, I've done some free-lance work to grow my experience and portfolio, and I've gotten much more comfortable in front of a lens!

What is your dream brand to model for?

American Eagle/Aerie, 100%

How would you describe your fashion style?

I was recently told by a friend that my fashion sense is termed "grunge femme." I was unaware that my quirky style had a category, but after I looked that up on pinterest, I found that my friend was correct. Grunge-femme includes a lot of high-waisted plaid skirts and pants, chokers, leather and denim jackets, ripped jeans, blazers, platform boots, fishnets, wearing big t-shirts as dresses, a bold lip, wild, messy hair, and perfect winged eyeliner. That's me, spot on.

How important is self-awareness and confidence to you in your everyday life?

Very very important. I began the self-awareness and confidence journey a bit late in life (my young twenties), and it took me a while to become comfortable with who I am. I began to recognize who I am and what I like OUTSIDE of other's opinions of me. I stopped caring so much about what others thought and began pursing things I was passionate about, working harder for my dreams, and dressing and wearing my hair and makeup how I liked. Once I figured all of that out, I became a natural leader and no longer worried about the crowds. My talents emerged and I found myself. Becoming self-aware and confident is KEY to peace of mind, happiness, and mental stability.  

Refuse to apologize for your style, passions, dreams, and uniqueness.

What makes you beautiful/handsome?

My empathy for others, my confidence and my happiness.

What would you say to another girl/guy your age who is struggling with their confidence?

Don't let it get you down. We ALL have bad days, weeks, months, and even years. Instagram makes everyone look perfect all the time, but that is NOT accurate. Sometimes people will say things to me like, "you are so beautiful, how does that feel?" or, "wow, you're doing so well in law school, you must be loving it!" and I jokingly respond, "yeah, well I don't post photos of when I'm having a breakout, a bad hair week, or when I'm crying in the library over constitutional law..."  Here's the bottom line: don't believe everything you see on the internet, because you're only getting the highlights.

I didn't even start reaching my potential until my 20s. Find a good support system, and never stop moving forward, even if it's not exactly what you thought you'd be doing. Sometimes the next best thing for you is entirely unexpected, but right around the corner.