What's New
Young Woman Uses Opportunity Passport™ to Start
Modeling Career
Aarica Redmond
As a young teen, Aarica Redmond, of Macomb County, Michigan, dreamed of becoming a model. Now, at 20, she is making her dream a reality with the help of her Opportunity Passport™.
In January, Redmond hired an experienced photographer to create a portfolio of portraits and poses to jump-start her modeling career. With $700 she saved from working a campus job and participating in youth board activities, Redmond was able to receive a match of $700 through her Opportunity Passport™ developed by the Initiative. The photos, which show Redmond in four different looks from casual to glamorous, cost her $1,100.
"My goal is to one day walk the runway, be in the magazines and inspire other youth who not only have been in foster care, but also have had a hard time," said Redmond, president of the Macomb County youth board. "I want them to know they can make their dreams come true."
When she first began saving, the junior sociology major at Oakland University thought she would probably use her Opportunity Passport™ to buy a car or a home. "I wasn't sure what I was saving for," said Redmond, who interns for a county juvenile probate office. "It wasn't until after so many months that I found out I could use it for my pictures for modeling."
Thanks to her new photos and guidance from her photographer, Redmond was picked up by a local modeling agency in July. And several times since then, companies who saw her photos have called Redmond for auditions. "I was very excited," she said. "It was my dream come true."
Without the Opportunity Passport™ or her photographer, "it could have been possible, but it would have been a lot harder," Redmond said.
Although she hasn't completed any modeling jobs yet, she is optimistic about future opportunities.
"I have to remember things don't happen overnight," she said. "This is just the first step."
Redmond's dream began at 13, when her grandmother enrolled her in a nearby mall's modeling club. For several seasons, she modeled the latest clothes from Sears in fashion shows at the mall. "It was like dress-up all the time," Redmond said.
When her grandmother died, however, Redmond put her dream on hold. She was 15. "I never really gave up on it," she said. "I just couldn't drive, so I couldn't get out to things."
Last year, Redmond thought she was making progress when she found out about a company that would help aspiring models. But it was a scam, and she lost $250.
Despite her struggles, Redmond isn't giving up.
"I want to graduate before I do anything," she said. "I still need to live and support myself... But I also want to keep pursuing my dream. If the opportunity comes about and I do get that big break, I am gone. I'm taking it."
