Every human being on this Earth has that person who they look up to, admire, aspire to be, that is their role model, an exemplar embodiment of an ideal person. When we think of runway models or magazine models, our opinion of  “model” changes drastically.

When I enrolled in the John Casablancas School of Modeling at the age of 15, my intention was clear; I wanted to be a model, spotlight on me, to develop confidence, and be empowered. When some of my relatives found out, all they could sneer was “You are degrading yourself,” or “You need to get plastic surgery to fit that perfect mold they are looking for.” Honestly, they had nothing positive to say. They are blinded from the truth from their closed-mindedness.

Times have definitely changed and yes, modeling does have its negative side effects, but does not every other job on this planet? A Fashionista article by Stephanie Saltzman lists out the cons of modeling: “It's long been plagued by allegations of mistreatment of underage girls, lack of diversity, sexual harassment, promoting an unhealthy lifestyle and just about any other horrifying cliché that has ever been ascribed to fashion.” All these negative aspects to modeling automatically makes the community wired to believe that this is what all models go through and this is what modeling is, which simply is not true.

I for one never had those experiences and not because I just got “lucky” each time. I advocate for myself and what I am comfortable with and John Casablancas respects my boundaries as well as my potential employers. In all job professions, there are employees that steal, lie, and perform unrelated job tasks, but why should we allow one bad apple to blame the tree it grew on? An individual represents the individual, not what job they do.

Similar to the positive sides in every job, being a fashion model definitely has some very useful and relevant aspects in daily life. “Benefits of Becoming a Model” by CareerTrend bluntly states, “Being a model will expose you to a lot of different skills, such as proper posture, communication skills and poise, that you can apply to other careers.” Finally! Some acknowledgement on considering modeling as an actual job with virtues. Prior to me becoming a model, at school I was always terribly shy, I slouched, I felt inferior, and even when I attempted to speak to friends and adults, I was constantly so self-conscious as to their opinion of me that I would speak quietly and constantly apologize for no reason. Attending my modeling school in Connecticut gave me the discipline to be confident in myself. I was forced to literally keep my head high, shoulders back, and walk with purpose. How does that pertain to everyday life? Well, when I maintain this posture I feel empowered and self-appreciated, that leads me to be more outspoken and unapologetic in expressing my opinions and ideas. 

A role model and a fashion model are not as different as we may think. A fashion model first must be their own role model, where they inspire themselves and inflict new goals and pursuits, and a role model first has to have self-confidence and appreciation in order to be the light for others. Next time, when we hear the word model, we should just think of a model that we should try to resemble, and that can include fashion models.