I got into modeling in the fall of 2010. I was going on a walk with one of my friends, and she told me I should be a model. I was too dull to know she was hitting on me, but as soon as I got home I told my mom I wanted to be a model. People always told me I should model for Abercrombie or American Eagle, but this time I pursued it. The track of my life changed that day, and my first job ever was the Abercrombie and Fitch Back to School 2011 campaign.

Whenever people ask me why I model, I always respond with “Why not?” It’s a very unorthodox and exciting profession, and I love that about it. It gets hard to stay healthy in between long waiting periods, but all it takes is one text with news from your agent and your back on the wagon. It also takes you places in life nothing else can. So far I’ve been to Miami and Santa Barbara on ‘business trips,’ and I can’t wait to see where else modeling takes me!

For me, modeling was also a wakeup call. I’ve always had a bit of a crazy streak, coming up with insane ideas but never doing them. On one of my second shoots ever, I was given a Speedo at the top of a parking garage where people were actively parking and walking through. I had always joked about buying a speedo, but never did. Instead of thinking about how weird it is to walk through a parking garage in a speedo with an 80’s style jacket, I smiled, put them on, and got some really great shots.

Along with that, I made some great friends in the photographer and makeup artist, who coached me along and made me feel comfortable in an awkward situation. Someday I hope to live in a big city and model for as long as I can. I love the healthy lifestyle, and I can only imagine that living in a city, meeting new people, seeing new places, and the joy of hearing “Congratulations, you booked it!” several more times will make it an even better experience. With an opportunity like the one Paul, Olga, and The Network have given me, I can’t pass it up.

Paul always talks about giving back to the community. We are here to build role models, after all. In high school I was a student board member of Garage Knights; an organization that repairs, fixes, and donates cars to families in need. I was also part of a program inside my high school called Community School that focused on technology, student- teacher relationships, and service learning, where you learn by doing community service. I was extremely lucky to find an organization that catered to my particular interests, and Garage Knights soon became my Friday night activity. It now hosts the largest amount of students from Community School of any organization. There are even a few girls who have been brave enough to don some Dickies overalls and swim in motor oil.

My friends and I continued going to the garage during all breaks, as well as summer. Over the years, we have worked on a 1947 Willys Military Jeep, a 1950’s Harley Davidson gold cart, several 1960’s Mustangs, and a mini chopper I built from a Schwinn Stingray bicycle frame when my mom told me I couldn’t buy a motorcycle. I graduated with honor cords for service and over 120 documented hours during my senior year. I personally didn’t care about the cords, but my mom wanted me to get them since she knew I could. Once I hit 120 hours, I stopped keeping track, and volunteered more!

In my free time, I’m a proud Ohio State Buckeye. Homework and studying take up pretty much all of my time. I like to work out for study breaks, and I am on the Buckeye Electric Motorcycle Racing Team to quench my thirst for speed, but still tell my college professor dad it’s educational. The BEMRT is a volunteer student run team aimed at researching new battery technology and employing it in racing. Slightly less educational activities I am involved in are the Buckeye Motorcycle Club, Wakeboard Club, Snow Ski Club, and Pistol Club.

A lot of people think that OSU is too big, but if it wasn’t so big, I wouldn’t have ever shot a pistol, gone snowboarding in Colorado, gone wakeboarding on a world class ski boat, or gotten my motorcycle license. When it snows in Ohio (which is never when you want it to), I love to snowboard. When it’s sunny in Ohio, I love to wakeboard, waterski, ride motorcycles (l love you mom!), and go to Mid-Ohio Racetrack (in which case it’s always raining). My favorite sports to watch on TV are motocross, wakeboarding, snowboarding, and sport course racing. I could care less for football, basketball, and baseball. Though I did play soccer and lacrosse in high school, it’s only because I wasn’t able to convince my parents to let me ride dirt bikes or race in club events.

One fun fact is that I met Travis Pastrana and his wife in a hallway of the Hard Rock Hotel, Las Vegas. It pretty much made my life. I was too starstruck to ask for a picture or autograph, but when I called his name in disbelief he came over on his crutches, shook my hand with a smile, and asked me how I was doing. The feeling you get from looking up to someone your whole life then meeting them and thinking, “Wow, he really is the coolest guy in the world,” is unforgettable. It’s something I would like to be able to give people one day.

It isn’t like a 7 year old going to Walt- Disney world; it’s so much more than that. You never forget those moments in your life, and they make it worth living. If I could meet anyone in the modeling industry, it would be Simon Nessman so I could ask him how a curly haired teenager can become successful. I’ve been told I look like him, and ever since the first time I have used him as the benchmark for the level I would like to work at. Wish me luck!