Who:
Jackson Roodman — @jackson.roodman — American/Thai from San Fernando Valley, CA, USA — born February 2nd — 186 cm / 6’1″ — he/him.

Where:
Mondays Management (New York – mother agency)

— One thing people may be surprised to find out about you:
Engineering is my passion. I’ve been coding since I was in 8th grade, and ever since, I’ve developed a love for tinkering with electronics, figuring out how things work, and working on my own personal projects. In my senior year of high school, I spent countless days and nights programming and testing a 3-joint robot arm for my school’s robotics team. My love for engineering also intersects with my interests in sustainability. Seeing how my school was underutilizing a greenhouse space, I created a self-sustaining autonomous hydroponics garden. I also made and coded a rotating solar panel phone charger that I would use while camping. These are just a fraction of the projects I’ve worked on!

— Can you tell us about your happiest childhood memory?
When I was 11, I paddled out into the water, ready to surf. My dad had been teaching me for some time, but this day was different. Instead of him swimming around and pushing me onto waves, I was going to catch my own waves without his help. I felt nervous but excited. Spotting a perfect swell, I paddled with all my might and felt my board start to glide. I stood up. I did it. I was riding my wave without my dad’s assistance. I looked back, hoping he could see me, and to my surprise, he was riding right alongside me. As the wave lost power, we glided to the shore, laughing and breathless. We did it! My dad and I had ridden a wave together!

— What are 3 interesting facts about you?
1. In my free time, I like to skate.
2. The fastest I’ve ever completed a Rubik’s cube was in 16 seconds.
3. I’m super outdoorsy! I love camping, hiking, fishing, etc.

Who:
Jayden Leighton — @J.AYDENL — American from Lapwai, Idaho, USA — born December 2nd — 179 cm / 5’10.5″ — she/her.

Where:
Ford Models LA (Los Angeles), Ford Models Chicago

— Tell us about your hometown.
I come from a small town called Lapwai (pronounced Lap-way) in Idaho. It’s located on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation. It’s just as glamorous as it sounds, haha. There’s not much to do around here except play sports, enjoy nature, and swim in the rivers. I live in a basketball town; my high school girls’ basketball program leads the state for most state championships with 11. During my time in high school, we won the state championship my sophomore year, and we placed 2nd my senior year.

— Share a bit about your background and upbringing.
My parents were seniors in high school, so as you can imagine, they didn’t always get it right, but I’m happy they stuck it out and are great parents to me and my two younger siblings. Something that I’m very proud of is my Nez Perce culture. I go to the longhouse to practice ceremony, I can participate in sweat lodge, I am able to gather Nez Perce traditional first foods, such as roots and berries, I can fish on the Columbia River, I made my first trip to Montana last year to go Buffalo hunting, I am a seamstress and can make skirts, shirts, and wing dresses for ceremonies, and I am slowly learning how to weave basket hats and bags. All these were taught to me by my grandmother.

— How did you become a model?
Ever since I was little, complete strangers would come up to ask if I’m a model. In my early teens, I began watching Vogue’s model “Get Ready with Me” videos on their YouTube channel. After that, I started applying to different modeling agencies on their Instagram profiles. I was so stoked when Ford Models contacted me.

Who:
Kyle Johnson — @6ohnson — American from Detroit, Michigan, USA — born March 30th — 190 cm / 6’3″ — he/him.

Where:
Our Model Management (Detroit – mother agency), Why Not Model Management (Milan)

— How did you become a model?
I went to a casting in Detroit for Bottega and was selected and ever since then I’ve been modeling.

— What are 3 interesting facts about you?
1. I have a degree in coding.
2. I was the only guy from Detroit in Bottega.
3. I’m a lefty.

— An issue or cause you are passionate about:
Getting independent artists paid more for their streams.

Who:
Lee Young III — @leeandrewyoung — American from Hinesville, Georgia, USA — born September 19th — 186 cm / 6’1″ — he/him.

Where:
Heffner Management (Seattle – mother agency)

— If you were to choose a song that symbolizes this current phase of your life, what would it be and why?
I’d have to say ‘Your Potential/ The Beyond’ by Flying Lotus. This song has such an uphill feel to it, for lack of a better word. By the time you get to the second half of the song, it’s like you’re on top of the world and have, in fact, reached your potential and beyond. That’s how I feel right now; it’s beautiful.

— What’s the scariest thing you’ve ever done?
When I was younger and Ripstiks were super popular, my friends and I found the steepest hill in our area and rode down it. One of our friends fell, but luckily, it wasn’t too bad. It definitely could’ve been much worse! Lol!

— How did you become a model?
I first became a model at 20 years old when I was scouted through Instagram. My mom was the first person to tell me that I should think about modeling a few years prior… so I think it was meant to be :)

Who:
Nena Marcus — @nena_marcus — American from Calhoun, Georgia, USA — born May 18th — 179 cm / 5’10.5″ — she/her.

Where:
JAG Models (New York), The Scene Models (Atlanta – mother agency), Premier Model Management (London), Louisa Models (Munich)

— One thing people may be surprised to find out about you:
I graduated high school a semester early and started college when I was 17. I then graduated college with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing when I was 19.

— Tell us about your hometown.
I’m from a smallish town in North Georgia called Calhoun. I love where I grew up and the lifestyle it has brought along with it. You don’t have to be afraid anywhere you go around here. Everyone knows everyone, and we take care of each other. People live a pretty slow-paced lifestyle compared to the city. This simple style of living is what I love. These things that I consider to be good are also the things that others might dislike.

— Can you tell us about your happiest childhood memory?
My happiest childhood memories consist of spending time with my family. I’m very close to my older brother and my parents. I’ve always looked up to my brother and grew up wanting to do whatever it was that he was doing. I followed him around everywhere and wanted to have the same interests as him. Memories of us running around in the yard, playing in our clubhouse, drinking Kool-Aid on the porch, Nerf wars, playing Wii in the basement, and sleepovers on my parent’s floor are some of my favorite times to look back on.

Who:
Zoe Tolbert — @zoe.tolbert — American/German from Seattle, Washington, USA — born March 21st — 179 cm / 5’10.5″ — she/her.

Where:
SMG (Seattle – mother agency), Women Management (New York)

— If you were to choose a song that symbolizes this current phase of your life, what would it be and why?
If I chose a song that symbolizes this current phase of my life, it would be the song ‘Let It All Workout’ by Lil Wayne. I just turned eighteen, am going to college in New York in the fall, and am in a unique stage of my life with many opportunities, which is a blessing and simultaneously terrifying. The song reminds me to embrace the change and trust the process.

— What are 3 interesting facts about you?
1. German was my first language, and I am a German citizen.
2. I played the cello for 12 years.
3. I have a total of 14 plants in my bedroom and bathroom.

— What’s a story your family/friends like to tell about you?
One story my family likes to tell about me is that from a young age, I was very particular about how I dressed and did my hair. I would pick out my outfit every day and go to school in a tutu and cowboy boots with blue eyeshadow and not one, not two, but three braids. When I asked my mom why she didn’t stop me, she said she thought it was “cute.”