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I grew up in a Catholic family on the island of Vitoria in southeast Brazil. I was baptized, and as a kid I went to a nun school that instilled rigid values about sex, marriage and women’s roles in society. I was impressionable back then, and it took years of independence to understand how those values impacted me.

Now, at 28, I don’t follow any specific religion, but I respect everyone’s beliefs. I believe in energy and karma; I believe we should strive to evolve ourselves, as I saw how religion can be used as a weapon of judgment instead of a force to unite us through compassion.

I don’t know if you know any Brazilian families, but we’re generally really tight, really loud and really in your face. I was a shy kid—the type who went straight home after school to make a glass of chocolate milk and lie in bed reading Harry Potter—but my family pushed me out­side my shell. My mother was a teacher and a professional dancer, and she encouraged me to study ballet. By the time I was 14 I’d given it up; my teacher said I was too tall and it would be too difficult to find a partner who could lift me. I was disappointed, but my height turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

When I was 16, a group of international model scouts came to our city. I’d never had much interest in model­ing, but my family kept saying, “You’re super tall. You should do it!” I made it through two rounds of scouting, went to São Paulo in November with my mom, signed a contract—and in January I was in Milan.

Modeling forced me to grow up quickly. I had to learn a lot of new things, like transportation, cooking, han­dling money. (I ruined a bunch of loads of laundry before I learned to separate the colors.) I’ve been modeling for 12 years now, and I’ve lived throughout Europe and Asia, as well as South Africa, but five years ago I was like, “You know what? Nope! I can’t do it anymore. I need a place where I can drop my luggage, breathe and have a couple of plants.” I put down roots in New York and finally found some stability. I was grateful to sign with an excellent model-management company there. I recently moved in with my boyfriend, and I just signed up for a course in in­terior design at the New York Institute of Art and Design.

It wasn’t until I started modeling nude that I was forced to let go of what I saw as flaws.

It took me years to unlearn the toxic thoughts I had about my body, and it’s still a daily struggle. It wasn’t until I started modeling nude that I was forced to let go of what I saw as flaws and embrace my work with more confidence. At this point in my career, I want to use this platform to empower young women.

I will never let people write me off as “just a model” and limit my potential—and neither should you, however you choose to spend your days. I want women to know they don’t need approval from anybody but themselves.

Find your pleasure. Pursue it without fear. You are worthy.

DATA SHEET

BIRTHPLACE: Vitoria, Brazil

CURRENT CITY: New York, New York

ON MUSIC LESSSONS

Music has always played an important role in my life. That’s actually how I learned English: by listening to music and learning the pronunciation of Eng­lish words. When I was eight years old, I would listen to Backstreet Boys and ‘N Sync and sing the songs with no idea what I was saying.

ON WIZARDING

I was obsessed with Harry Potter as a teenager. I cried when Sirius Black died, I laughed when Harry was happy—it was the first time I actually felt emo­tions while reading. (What Hogwarts house would I be in? Gryffindor.)

ON PHOBIAS

I’m terrified of heights. If I’m at the top of a building and there’s no handrail, I’m going to start sweating. I’m really clumsy, so I feel like if I trip and fall, I’m dead.

ON SELF CARE

The best advice I’ve ever received? Don’t try to fill everybody’s cup and leave yours empty. If you want to help other people, you have to do the work on yourself first. Don’t be afraid of what others will think of you. This is a lesson I constantly need to remind myself of.

ON SPARKING JOY

I became a freak about organizing things after I watched Tidying Up With Marie Kondo. I just got a ton of boxes from the Container Store, and now I’m in organizing heaven. I think when you’re in a good environment, you can go about your day with a clear mind.

ON THE INDUSTRY

In the beginning of my career, beauty standards in the industry were much narrower. I was always being asked to pluck my eyebrows. They didn’t like that I didn’t have blue or green eyes, and I wasn’t allowed to get a tan. Now it’s much better. I’ve found a niche, and people are more open to unique traits. (They’re loving my bushy eye­brows.) Overall I think beauty stan­dards are still too rigorous, but I like that we’re moving toward diversity, authenticity and self-love.

ON VITAL VOICES

If there’s somebody I think more peo­ple should be listening to, it’s Shaun King. We need to hear more voices in the realm of social justice. We need more companies and magazines to speak to the issues of our generation.

ON CELEBRITY CRUSHES

I love Keanu Reeves. He rides on the subway; he doesn’t spend money on ridiculous things; his sister had leu­kemia and he’s said to have donated millions of dollars for research. I think he’s just down-to-earth.