Jenella Powell is a 21-year-old honey from Minnesota. She grew up in Puerto Rico, and was raised by her grandparents, who she is “so grateful for”, saying that if it wasn’t for them she would have ended up in foster care. Growing up, they made sure she had everything she needed, no matter the sacrifices they needed to make, and taught her many invaluable lessons, like “what it means to be a hardworking, humble, and caring human.” Heart eyes.
She recently blessed our shores with her presence, and says that despite loving Sydney, reckons Byron Bay was her highlight because of its distinctive “energy and culture.” Her favourite thing about modelling is meeting new people everyday, and learning about others and why they do what they do. “Everyone is so different and you never know what a person has been through until you get the chance to have a conversation with them. It's crazy! And so amazing! I learn everyday new things from each person I met, it's a great blessing being able to make these connections,” she continues.
The thing that scares her most is not having her grandparents in her life, and the best piece of advice she’s ever received is to always be yourself, stay true to what you believe in and who you are as a person, be kind to those around you, and never be afraid to take a chance. To her, the issue of self image is very important. She always tries to promote self-love and good body image in everything she does, and hopes that she can continue to inspire others to do the same throughout her career. She continues by saying how important it is to “love yourself and not think about what others have to say about it.”
Jenella loves being a young person living in 2017 because there’s “endless possibilities as to what you can achieve”. She also loves the fact that people are able to love and marry who they choose, which is a #blessing we often take for granted. To her, the word ‘cool’ means a lot of things and she acknowledges that everyone has different ideas of what they think is cool. For her, it’s the things she finds enjoyable, such as fashion, music, and dance. We think she’s pretty cool herself.
Words: Maddy Woon Images: Asia Typek Fashion: Ilkin Kurt
Jenella is represented by:
IMG WORLDWIDE
Ignite MINNESOTA
Shot on location around Newtown in Sydney, Australia