Breaking the Model
by Graciela H. Rogriguez

As a young teen, I shared the dream of many girls: I wanted to be a model and an actress. Like most girls, I wanted to be popular, and more than anything that meant I had to be attractive. When I was 13, I was scanning a fashion magazine and saw an ad for a model search contest that was coming to Beverly Hills. I jumped at the chance and begged my parents to take me.

Every Saturday after that, we made the 2-hour drive to Beverly Hills and they waited for 8 hours while I learned how to strut, pose andwalk with a supermodel sashay. On the first day, an agent took my measurements—5'3", 130 pounds, size seven. He recommended that I drop down to size 3 as quickly as possible. For motivation, he handed me a stack of magazines. He suggested I study the models in Teen and Seventeen to "get an idea of what real models look like." I left depressed, thinking I would never look like model because I came from a line of full-figured Mexican women. I remember wishing I'd been born with blond hair, blue eyes, and a small waist.

I didn't end up on the catwalk, but rather, in the hospital, recovering from anorexia and bulimia. That's right, me, an 18-year-old Latina who's supposed to be immune to such things. Or so I'm told.

Graciela (Chely) H. Rodriguez has devoted her life to helping others and giving back what was given to her. She has touched and changed lives by sharing her struggle with body image. She has gone from wanting to be a model and starving herself to the point of hospitalization, to now teaching others about self-love. Her early career as an advocate for healthy living began at Girls Inc. of Carpinteria, California. As a teen she attended several luncheons, traveled to New York and sat on panels. As an adult she has facilitated numerous teen programs. Her undergrad experience at the University of California in Santa Barbara gave her the opportunity to conduct sociological research as a MOST (Minority Opportunity through School Transformation) student. She was awarded the Genesis Grant to conduct research for two years on the influence of mass media on body dissatisfaction. She presented her research at the 2002 American Sociological Association MOST Conference in Chicago. She also received the Greek Woman of the Year Award and the Senior Excellence Award. Chely strives to be an example for other young women and for future generations. She is currently working as an elementary-school teacher and attends graduate school at Asuza Pacific University to earn her credentials and master’s in multiple-subject education.