We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dalia Fragoso. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dalia below.
Dalia, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
I would have to say my work ethic came from my parents. I was lucky enough to have parents who pushed me to follow my dreams and to go for what I want. My parents taught me to never give up. I watched both of my parents work so hard my entire life. I am forever grateful for everything they taught me. I don’t think I would be where I am in my career and my life if it weren’t for them being the role models they are.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am lucky enough to say I have been modeling for about five years now. Truly it’s wild to even say that. It all started when my friend from college who worked for the university magazine had a model drop out. My friend asked if I would be interested in filling in. And from there my life changed forever. I grew up as a theater kid, so I always appreciated the arts and being creative. With modeling I finally felt like I found a piece of me that was missing. Then I was even luckier to be able to attend Coco Rocha Modeling Camp in 2021. After that my modeling career blossomed into something I never thought it could be. Since then, I have had so many jobs and opportunities I never thought were possible for someone my height. My height was always something that hindered my faith in my ability to make modeling work. But it’s been five years, and I have so much to show for it. My life has changed quite a bit in the last few months. I graduated with my Masters in Social Work from the University of Michigan in December 2022. I started a new job as a clinical social worker, so a lot of my life right now is learning how to navigate such an intense career path. I am still learning how to balance both. But I wouldn’t change a thing. I am forever grateful for where I am now. As for the future, I am just excited to see what new opportunities come to me next!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The first quality that impacted my journey the most is my resilience. Modeling is such a hard path to take, and I’m not sure it’s possible without resilience. You have to learn how to get teared down over and over, but also get back up again and again. The second quality I think impacted my journey is being open. With both modeling and the social work field I have to be open. You never know where an opportunity might take you. You have to step out of your comfort zone to grow. And the last quality I believe impacted my journey is always trying my best to be kind. There is so much hate in the world, and I think we need more kindness and more love. I try to pour love into everything I do. I want to make people feel something, I want to make an impact. I want to remind people of the good. Some advice I would give to people at the beginning of their journey is to go with your gut. Stay true to yourself and focus on the goal. If you listen to your mind, body, and soul you will end up where you’re meant to be.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
Someone I do want to highlight is Coco Rocha. If you haven’t heard of her or her modeling camp, stop what you’re doing now and go look! She is the most incredible human being and such an amazing role model. Attending her modeling camp changed me as a model but also as a person. I left feeling more confident, more fierce, and with more fire I had ever felt before. Her and her camp are really doing amazing things for this industry and for those who attend. It’s not just a modeling camp, but almost a wellness retreat. The ways she opens up and sheds some light into the true modeling industry. She taught me to forget about my height and focus on perfecting my craft so the fives inches I am missing don’t even matter.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: daliafragoso
Image Credits
1st Photo: Photographer : Katie Novak Make up: Jillian Jackson 2nd photo: Photographer: Mikayla Reighley Make up: Norma Sundquist 3rd Photo: Photographer:Rana Tahboub Hair: Kelsey Martin 4th photo: Photographer: Nikita Artinian Make up: Jason Nguyen 5th photo: Photography: Emily Crombez Make up: Nico Cortes Hair: Shannon Wood
