I’VE FOUND MY FASHION FAMILY. Modeling has allowed me to meet so many amazing women from all over the world; it’s always so nice meeting other women on set who understand the job and speak the same language as you. I find [Dominican model] Lineisy Montero so inspiring – I met her at a Prada casting and was totally star-struck.

AS A CHILD I WAS A TOMBOY. I wanted to be outside playing soccer with my brothers. My mom sent me to modeling school when I was little but I only lasted a few days, then ten years later I got signed to an agency. Walking the runway is my favorite part of the job. The first show I walked was Balenciaga, which was also my first time in Paris and my first time on a plane.

RIGHT NOW, I’M LIVING OUT OF A SUITCASE. My plan is to move to New York but, at the moment, work is so busy that I’m flying all over the world for jobs. I grew up in the wonderful city of Cali in Colombia; when I’m away from home I miss my family, the food – it’s so good – but most of all my pets. I have two dogs and a cat – I make my mom send me pictures of them all the time.

WRITING POETRY RELAXES ME. When I’m feeling lonely or I’ve had a bad day, I take some time out, listen to music and start writing. I find it really therapeutic.

I’VE NEVER BEEN SCARED OF THE CAMERA. By the time I was 14 years old I was already 5’11”, so people had been telling me I should try modeling. All my friends were getting their first jobs in grocery stores so I thought, ‘Why not give it a shot?’ The more time I’ve spent working in the industry, the more I’ve learned. Sometimes less is more – slight movements can really change a story.

GROWING UP, I WANTED TO BE AN ASTROPHYSICIST. Fashion was never a priority for me; I didn’t know this world existed until I became a part of it. It can be quite surreal and sometimes I don’t register the magnitude of an event until it’s been and gone, like walking alongside model Alek Wek in my first show, or being photographed for my first ever campaign by Steven Meisel.

MY GOAL IS TO DISCOVER ALL MY TALENTS AND EXPLORE EVERY ONE. You only have one life so if there’s something you can do, why wouldn’t you? The kind of people I look up to are Stephen Hawking, Martin Luther King and Mother Teresa. The best goals to have are the unachievable kind, like helping people in need, because then you’ll always have something to strive towards. What people remember you for is not what you did for yourself, it’s what you do for everyone around you.

I REALIZE HOW INSANELY LUCKY I AM. Being flown to Paris for my first season… I felt like Cinderella! I have friends who have never even left Georgia. Retaining a sense of normality is important – my family and friends keep me grounded. I know myself; I’m not defined by my job.