Tell us about yourself:

My name is Lalita A. , and I was born in Thailand. I moved to America in 2006 when I was eight and presently call Missouri my home state.

I’ve always enjoyed sport, especially track and field, which I’ve participated in for much of my life. My main event is the high jump and sprinting. In my senior year of high school, I won first place for the high jump at State, breaking my school’s record for that event that had been held for more than 20 years.

I’m currently attending a University full-time while doing modeling on the side. When I’m not studying, I’m doing modeling gigs to help pay my way through college. The university offered me both academic and athletic scholarships, although I left track and field to focus on my senior year studies.

My major is Physics, with a minor in Mathematics. My aspiration is to use my college degree to find work as an astronomer, but I’m also considering modeling and acting as a full-time career after I graduate.

Tell us about your modeling experience:

You can say that I began modeling in 2017, but actually, I’ve always been one of those girls who loves to be in front of the camera. I’ve been told that I’m a natural at being in front of the lens.

I started my modeling path by working with several talented photographers who helped me get started. I learned how to build my portfolio, and although that meant a lot of free shoots, the experience proved to be valuable training. After about a year of portfolio-building, I began doing paid gigs, and was surprised at how quickly newer and better opportunities came to me. Not just local gigs but also travel model assignments.

I really love what I do and am very passionate about it. I’ve had some good and bad experiences along the way but haven’t let the bad ones stop me from keeping up the hustle. I’m determined to go further into working with better-known brand names, new locations, and more.

What is your biggest dream?

My biggest dream right away is to get my degree and to find a good job in my field.

Beyond that, I dream about doing full-time modeling and acting, with bigger brand names like Adidas, Nike, Calvin Klein, Coach, and to travel to more places as a model and actor.

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

Being my own kind of beautiful means being unique, and being unique means not being afraid to be different.

For me, beauty and uniqueness come from being myself and concentrating on my goals, no matter what obstacles I have to go through. I don’t feel the need to compare myself with others to feel confident in my own beauty, nor do I feel like to achieve my goals I have to compete with anyone else.

Being free from constantly worrying about competing with others or standing out in a crowd allows me to concentrate on what makes me different and unique. I find that in so doing I feel beautiful.

How would you describe your fashion style?

I’m not limited to any one fashion style. I’d say that I’m a mixture of styles, because every day is different: on one day I can wear a style that says “Sweet,” and the next I’ll wear one that says, “Mean.” The funny part is, this flexibility means that sometimes even I have some trouble making sense of what my style is on any given day.

Who or what inspires you?

My greatest inspiration is my mother. She raised two children on her own while working and going to school full-time. When we moved from Thailand to America, her effort saw her earn her doctorate degree four years ago.

My mother taught me to never give up, no matter how hard life gets, and because of her, I have always found my own inner hustle, which I’m experiencing now more than ever.

What have been your greatest accomplishments?

I’d say that my greatest accomplishment is getting to where I am now in my modeling career. I have had help and advice along the way which helped me build, and I’ve been working hard for four and a half years to promote myself and to be known in the modeling industry.

Do you have any special talents?

My special talent is musical ability. I can play multiple instruments, including piano, violin, and traditional Thai instruments. I was also a percussionist throughout high school.

Describe some obstacles you have overcome in your life and how that has changed or shaped you:

Possibly the biggest obstacle I have overcome was being born very unhealthy. My family was poor, which made it hard for my parents to provide me with good health care, so for example, when I was very young I broke the same ankle three times.

But I didn’t let that stop me and kept working to become stronger inside and out no matter what my surroundings were. Because I didn’t quit, I eventually became healthy enough to participate in track and field in school, and ultimately my “weak” ankle became my stronger one, the one I jump off of during high jump and the one that propelled me to winning State in my high school senior year.

What makes you beautiful/handsome?

I’ve been told by a lot of people that my personality makes me beautiful. I’m kind to others, because I have no reason to be unkind to them.

Physically, others have said that my eyes and my smile complement my personality.

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

I’d say that I’ve been where they are, and the only way to have confidence is to learn to love yourself. Be you, and work on yourself for you and no one else. Don’t let harsh words from others define who you are, because only you know who you are.

Block out the negative thoughts and fill your life with positive ones. At the end of the day, the only person you have is yourself.