Age: 22

Measurements:

Waist: 23

Hips: 34

Bust: 32

Height: 5’8

Weight: 125

Hair/ Eye Color: Brown/ Blue

Tell us about yourself (where are you from, age, whatever you want to add)

My name’s Kayla Michelle and I’m 22 years old. I’m originally from New Jersey but I moved out to Arizona a few years ago for college. In school I studied Neuroscience, Psychology, and Spanish. I’m a competitive equestrian and I own an equine sales and breeding business based out of New Jersey.

Tell us about your modeling experience.

I began modeling in 2019 with the Agency Arizona as a little side hobby during school. It was a great and fun way to meet new people and grow confidence in myself.

What is your biggest dream?

I aspire to be a neuropsychologist with an emphasis in neurodegenerative disorders. I am going to attend grad school to obtain my master’s and Ph.D. in this area. I would love to mainly work in a research lab in which studies neurodegenerative disorders and sleep disorders.

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

Bring your own kind of beautiful means being the person YOU love. It is so important to love yourself in order to accept that same love from elsewhere. To be your own kind of beautiful is to be the person that you are comfortable with and you love. Beauty doesn’t adhere to one strict definition. Beauty is unique.

How would you describe your fashion style?

My style is quite diverse. I range anywhere from street style to sporty to romantic. I love to dress up to go out with friends or to a nice dinner, but day to day I am a huge fan of New York street style. Some statement joggers, dunk’s/Jordan 1’s, and a cute crop top or baggy shirt. Just depends on the day.

Who or what inspires you?

This may sound super cliche, but my parents are the most inspiring people in my life. At the age of 50, my dad is dying from last stage liver and kidney failure. But he’s been one heck of a fighter. He’s the bravest and strongest person I know. This has been a horrible uphill battle for him. He’s fought sepsis, MRSA, and HRS, on top of the liver and kidney disease. Every day seems to be harder than the last, and he’s tired and scared. But he doesn’t give up. I’ve never seen such resilience and fight in someone in my life. It’s amazing. He’s amazing. And then there’s my mom on the other hand. She’s experiencing the one of the worst things that could ever happen to her - she’s losing her husband. Her best friend. The father to her children. It’s an impending doom. But she stays so strong for him. She doesn’t leave his side. She goes through everything with him. He’s not alone. He’s never alone. And on top of that, she’s still the rock that grounds my siblings and I. Unchanged. Unconditional. Even when she’s completely broken and in complete despair and grief, she’s composed. She puts everyone above herself, while she dies inside. Her love for her husband and her children transcend everything. I aspire to be a fraction of the people both of my parents are. They are brave, resilient, compassionate, loving, strong. Although I would trade everything I have to not have to experience this, and to save my dad, I’m honored I get to see my parents for who they truly are. I’m honored I have such amazing role models in my life. I’m honored to remember my dad as the strong and brave man he is.

What is your advice to someone who is just getting started with modeling?

My advice to someone just getting into modeling is to go for it! Beauty has no boundaries or limits. Modeling is a great way to learn more about yourself and grow confidence. An agency that supports you and your best interests will set you up for success and ensure you enjoy the experience. You never know until you try it.

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

This past year or so, my life has been quite challenging to say the least. More than halfway into the school semester, I had a horrible riding accident about two years ago that could have ended my life. I’m hindsight, I was luckily left with a minor brain bleed, dislocated hip, a broken nose and ankle, and a whole lot of fear. The physical stuff is the easiest part. It ~mostly~ heals. The mental? That’s the tricky part. I was scared. I was scared to do what I love again — ride. It took a while to muster up the strength and confidence to get back on and ride like I used to. The accident stripped me completely of my confidence. There was this mental barrier that convinced me I was going to mess up and get myself killed again. All it takes is one mistake. You have to remember these are big animals. 1200 lbs. BIG. And at the end of the day, they are still animals. They do what they can to avoid accidents. But sometimes things are unavoidable. And sometimes things just happen. In my case, I got lucky. By the skin of my teeth, I lived. But what if I didn’t the next time? So many “what if’s” colluded my head for the following months in my recovery. Confidence is so so important with horses. They feed off of your energy. And I lost that. For a long time. It was a challenge to move past that. Even now, nearly 2 years later, I get nervous. I have these little flashbacks that grasp me. It’s not easy. But it’s worth it. I’ve come so far. I learned a lot about myself during this period. I learned I’m so much stronger than I thought. On top of my brain injury, I still had to complete the semester. This was a challenge. I could barely look at my phone screen, how was i supposed to finish school? Speaking was a major issue at first too. Aphasia is a frustrating hurdle. But I couldn’t give up. School was almost over. I was in such difficult classes, and i had such great grades. I didn’t want to set myself back even more. So i proceeded. I went to my neurology and physical therapy sessions, and I got stronger. I finished school on time. This was so important to me. And i am so proud of myself for overcoming every obstacle. I learned that i have those resilience and strong qualities that my parents possess. Passion drives me. I am so passionate about what I do and my horses, I don’t think I could ever stop. There’s always a little bit of fear. But sometimes you just have to live with that.

What makes you beautiful/handsome?

Confidence. Confidence and kindness make you beautiful. Looks don’t matter. Nothing on the outside matters. I mean sure, I’m not going to lie and say that physical beauty can‘t get you far in life, but physical beauty truly doesn’t mean anything if there’s no substance to you. It’s who you are on the inside that determines if you’re truly beautiful. The way you think, that way you feel, the way you interact with others. That’s what makes you beautiful.

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

Confidence is something that took me quite a while to grow into. Especially in the modeling industry, you constantly compare yourself to others or try to be the best and most attractive version of yourself. And sometimes you feel like that doesn’t even come close to cutting it. The key to gaining and acknowledging that confidence is by taking small but important steps. Do things for yourself. Try news things. Learn about yourself. Sometimes we get stuck in this box where we feel like we can’t achieve anything or aren’t good enough. But it’s a fallacy. Sometimes your lack of confidence is the very thing that prevents you from achieving greatness. Do things that make you grow. Travel, try a new hobby, make new friends, try a new style, get a new haircut, do something different. It’s the little things that add up and help you learn more about yourself. There’s always more to life. Always. There’s so much we don’t know about ourselves because we haven’t tried. Try them. Try everything! Who knows what you’ll learn.