Tell us about yourself.

I was born in LA then moved to the Philippines when I was 3 and basically grew up there until I was 16. After graduating high school, I moved back to LA where I went to college for the 1st 2 years, then transferred to UC Santa Barbara where I graduated with an Economics and Accounting degree. I worked for one of the big 4 accounting firms for 7 years. In the past year have found my passion in modeling and have been doing it part time for 2 years now.

What is your biggest dream?

I’ve always admired people who were extremely moving, influential, and motivating whether it be a famous influential leader or a local life coach or a fitness instructor. My biggest dream is to be able to be in a position where I can positively impact people whether through life coaching, wellness, or fitness. 

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

I think being your own kind of beautiful means being brave especially in vulnerable situations. To be able to look beyond the surface and prioritize what is meaningful to us and to others and to always put a smile on our faces while doing it. I think that is what true beauty is.

Tell us about your modeling experience.

I had been interested in modeling since I was a teenager and then 2 years ago, I finally made the leap and started contacting talent agencies. I got offered contracts by 2 of them and then finally signed with my 1st agent, and the rest was history! 

What is your dream brand to model for?

The dream brand I would like to model for is fabletics as I have always been a big fan of their products. Aside from being a fitness fanatic, their brand targets women of all different sizes, shapes, and personalities and I would love to represent a brand that sends a good message.

How would you describe your fashion style?

My fashion style is quite casual. I feel the sexiest and the most confident when I’m wearing a plain tank top/shirt with jeans and sneakers or workout clothes. In most cases for me, less is more and this type of style really shows more the real beauty of the person. 

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

Self-awareness I believe is the most vital quality one must have to gain control over our sense of reality and the key to growth and improvement. I try to be self-aware of my own thoughts internally and my own actions and behaviors that are reflected externally. I do this by means of meditating, reflecting, or journaling. Confidence is also something that I value but more often like a lot of people, I lose it in situations when I’m outside of my comfort zone. I believe it’s healthy and normal to question our level of confidence and even a lack of it may go a long way because it is of a humble and questioning mind that we become more open and kind to other people and different perspectives than our own. 

What makes you beautiful/handsome?

What makes me beautiful is my openness to people and circumstances that are different than my own. I also really try to be nice and kind to others and always put a smile on my face as you may never know what the other person is struggling with and that small kind gesture may change their day.

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

I would say it’s okay to struggle and to realize and be aware of why we are struggling. If we do 1 small thing at a time that gets us out of our comfort zone, you’ll realize that the fear and insecurities are all in our head and that there is nothing to lose if we push our own self-built wall of doubts. Small actions can start with raising your hand and answering the question in class when you know it, or talking to a stranger, or going to the gym even if you don’t want to work out. Life is about simple choices and these simple choices build us a path. The question is which path would you want to take - the one full of fears or the one with the most potential of getting you to where you want to be? Life is too short to be fearful, so I say eff it and do what you’ve always wanted to do.