May 14, 2019 at 05:25AM
"There's really a lot of emotion in it. You can see it in my face," says Shelby Bramlett as she shows us her favorite head shot. The sixteen year old has many head shots to choose from. During the past year, Bramlett built her modeling portfolio, participating in four runway shows and appearing in numerous magazines. Model Management Group in News York City took notice and recently signed her. "It was just a dream come true. Honestly, I couldn't believe it," recalls Bramlett, "that I was in New York, talking to the best modeling agency, and they signed me, which is really, really awesome." Now, the teen is booked for fashion shows in Paris and Miami.
Shelby Bramlett had done pageants and modeling as a small child, but those activities were interrupted when she was diagnosed with Scleroderma, an autoimmune disease, at age five. "I was put on chemotherapy for two and a half years, and it was scary," remembers Bramlett. She has been in remission for years, but faced her next challenge in middle school. "I was bullied in middle school for being too big, because I had muscles. I was a little chubby, not gonna lie," she laughs. Shelby says she was hesitant to return to modeling, but thought she would give it another try, even without the stereotypical model body. "Thicker-ish girls are getting out there, into the modeling, which is amazing," states Bramlett.
"Our ultimate goal was to boost her confidence, so she did feel good about herself, and when all this came about, it was just unreal. It's still really unreal." says Bramlett's mother Shannon Wilkie. Now, mom and daughter work together to juggle modeling and acting opportunities with high school. "She's always stayed the same," says Allie Roberts, Shelby Bramlett's best friend. "She's been funny, loving, caring. It's just great." Bramlett is an honors student and cheerleader. She says it's the support of her family and community that have brought her this far. "It's really important to me to have that support from my school, from my hometown and my parents and my friends. Because, if they didn't support me, I don't think I would do it."
"There's really a lot of emotion in it. You can see it in my face," says Shelby Bramlett as she shows us her favorite head shot. The sixteen year old has many head shots to choose from. During the past year, Bramlett built her modeling portfolio, participating in four runway shows and appearing in numerous magazines. Model Management Group in News York City took notice and recently signed her. "It was just a dream come true. Honestly, I couldn't believe it," recalls Bramlett, "that I was in New York, talking to the best modeling agency, and they signed me, which is really, really awesome." Now, the teen is booked for fashion shows in Paris and Miami.
Shelby Bramlett had done pageants and modeling as a small child, but those activities were interrupted when she was diagnosed with Scleroderma, an autoimmune disease, at age five. "I was put on chemotherapy for two and a half years, and it was scary," remembers Bramlett. She has been in remission for years, but faced her next challenge in middle school. "I was bullied in middle school for being too big, because I had muscles. I was a little chubby, not gonna lie," she laughs. Shelby says she was hesitant to return to modeling, but thought she would give it another try, even without the stereotypical model body. "Thicker-ish girls are getting out there, into the modeling, which is amazing," states Bramlett.
"Our ultimate goal was to boost her confidence, so she did feel good about herself, and when all this came about, it was just unreal. It's still really unreal." says Bramlett's mother Shannon Wilkie. Now, mom and daughter work together to juggle modeling and acting opportunities with high school. "She's always stayed the same," says Allie Roberts, Shelby Bramlett's best friend. "She's been funny, loving, caring. It's just great." Bramlett is an honors student and cheerleader. She says it's the support of her family and community that have brought her this far. "It's really important to me to have that support from my school, from my hometown and my parents and my friends. Because, if they didn't support me, I don't think I would do it."