At just 25-years-old, Joan Smalls‘ resume already screams supermodel domination, so it comes as no surprise that she’s the latest cover girl for Glam Belleza Latina magazine.
From her Estée Lauder ad, to walking the runway in just about every major fashion city, to filling the glossy pages of several magazine spreads and even being chosen as one of Beyoncé’s “Yoncé” girls, it’s clear that this Puerto Rican beauty knows all about handling success at a young age. In the spread, Smalls proves that she’s more than just a pretty face and dishes details about making good grades in college, growing up in Puerto Rico and her reaction to people who commented on her “Yoncé” video appearance.
Check out interview highlights below.
On attending college:
“I wasn’t going to do it—excuse the expression—half-assed just because I had time to kill. I was going to get good grades and show that I’m intelligent and not just a pretty face.”
On if she always wanted to be a model:
“Oh no. I grew up on a farm in Puerto Rico and wanted to be a veterinarian. I was always playing with animals! But because I physically resembled some of the models on TV—tall and skinny—people would tell my parents that I should model.”
On speaking her Estée Lauder contract into existence:
“Well, it’s funny, because I kept a journal of things that I wanted to accomplish in my modeling career. I always said I wanted a contract with Estée Lauder. I figured I’d dream big—that’s not going to hurt anybody! I got goosebumps reading those notebooks a few months ago. I couldn’t believe I had actually attained it.”
On the feedback she got from the “Yoncé” video:
“Some were like, ‘I didn’t know Joan could move like that!’ I think people forget that I’m Latin!”
On embracing her diversity as a Latina:
“And people don’t realize that when you’re Latin, you’re so diverse. I am black. I am Latin. I am Spanish. You know? It’s a little bit of everything, and that’s beautiful. So, everybody, claim me. I’m fine with that.”
Read the rest of the Puerto Rican beauty’s spread at Glam Belleza Latina.
SOURCE: Glam Belleza Latina
