WHILE most Mornington Secondary College students are packing their bags and preparing to head back to school, one of them will be noticeably absent.
Fifteen-year-old Mia Pollock, right, will be in Bali. But, far from being in holiday mode, she will be competing in the 2020 Australian Supermodel of the Year competition.
“I have been modelling seriously for about a year and a half,” Mia said before heading off.
“The organisers of the competition reached out to me through Instagram and encouraged me to apply. After going through the heats, I have made it into the finals.”
The supermodel of the year competition is open to contestants who are looking at a career in the editorial and commercial advertising industry such as television commercials, magazines, e-commerce, social media and print.
In Bali, the 25 finalists will participate in modelling workshops, styling, fashion shoots and runway modelling between 23 January and 3 February.
“I am really excited about the competition and am looking forward to learning as much as I can from the experience,” Mia said.
It could be a steep learning curve as Mia is the youngest entrant and could be competing against girls twice her age.
“I have done a modelling competition before and found it to be very beneficial,” she said. They are great for presentation, confidence boosting, and projecting your personality through your modelling.”
Mia has done modelling work for Decjuba Kids, Just Jeans, Country Road and Bardot Junior and her supporters have described her as “the next Miranda Kerr”.
“I’d love to continue modelling in the future and maybe work in the fashion industry,” she said.
After the Bali contest she plans to spend the rest of the year working on her modelling and her studies.
Later this year, Mia is planning to run a school holiday modelling programs for children who want to be models.
“There is so much to learn, and I am passionate about it,” she said. “I’d love to pass on my knowledge on to other kids.”