Tell us about yourself.

I am a 17 year old ballerina from a small, rural county in northern New Jersey. I have been homeschooled my entire life and enrolled in an international online school for the majority of it. I enjoy many things from drawing and panting to dancing to hiking in the mountains and swimming in the sea. I can speak French fairly well and love playing the piano. My passions are fairly split between art and science: my great love of dancing merges with my fervent interest in anatomy and physiology. 

Tell us about your modeling experience. 

I have not had much experience modeling. However, in the few experiences I have had, my photographers have told me I was a natural, and they all suggested I should pursue modeling because of my innate talent for it. 

What is your biggest dream?

My ultimate life ambition is to help people and have a positive impact on their lives. I want to be a shining light in a dark and despairing world and to inspire people to be kind, forgiving, and compassionate to those around them. I hope to bring joy to those around me every day and inspire them to live their lives for other people and not only themselves. 

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

In order to be your own kind of beautiful, one must truly embrace their personality and where they place their identity. If someone has qualities such as being compassionate or comedic, then their own, personal beauty will shine through their unique personality.

How would you describe your fashion style?

My fashion style can change drastically from casual and edgy, to chic and high-end. But my style typically remains classy and sophisticated with a slight edgy twist at times. 

Who or what inspires you?

My family is my greatest inspiration. My mother has always inspired me with her strong, quiet servitude and kindness. My father is the most dedicated worker I know who still finds time for the people he cares about. My brothers are accomplished officers in the Coast Guard. And my sister, my best friend, has inspired me everyday to live in each moment, take life as it comes, and appreciate each little blessing in life just as much as the greater ones. 

What have been your greatest accomplishments?

Throughout my life I have had the opportunity to go through various experiences and they have all been amazing accomplishments. A few years ago I completed nine days of a survival/ranger program called Hawk Mountain that tests your physical and mental strength each day. The year after, I returned to earn my Field Medic certification. These were trying experiences, yet they were also incredibly fulfilling and a few of my greatest accomplishments.

Do you have any special talents?

I have talent in dance, artistry, piano, and French. I have a love and talent for writing poetry in my free time. I also have learned and developed the skill to cook and bake delicious foods that are healthy, gluten free, and dairy free.  

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

I have gone through trying health issues and the toll they have taken on my mind, spirit, and body. I have experienced gastrointestinal, thyroid, and mental health problems over the past three years. Struggling through the pain and making it to the point of owning my own strength instead of allowing my illness to own me has been the greatest achievement of my life and I am so proud of how I have grown and changed into a stronger, more empathetic version of myself that has persevered and emerged on the other side with more knowledge, experience, and compassion. 

What makes you beautiful/handsome?

I believe a person's beauty is not defined by their outward appearance. Therefore, I think my compassion for other is what truly makes me beautiful; my innate instinct to care for the people around me and bring them joy in their every day lives. Also, I consider myself to be beautiful because of where I place my identity. I am a young Christian woman and I find my self-confidence and identity in God, not those around me and what they say about me. My confidence and outlook on my own beauty is not dependent on the words of others but on the truth I find in God. 

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

I would tell them to try looking outside of themselves, not to compare, but instead seek to offer themselves as a help to others. I have found that being selfless leads to greater confidence and joy than constantly searching inside oneself to find confidence. After truly letting go of obsessing over our own imperfections and looking instead at how we can make other people lives better, we will begin to see how ou