Who will walk the runway during New York Fashion Week and win $20,000? You decide.
Carolina Lorenzo
About Carolina Lorenzo
First in my family to graduate. Latina warrior building generational change through financial services and a luxury press-on nail brand. Two businesses. One mission: inspire women to dream bigger, build wealth, and leave a legacy.
Learn More About Carolina Lorenzo
What makes you the Next Runway Star?
What makes me the next runway star is that I represent far more than fashion, I represent resilience, fearlessness, and the power to rewrite your story. As a proud Latina, the first in my family to graduate college and pursue not one, but two businesses simultaneously in financial services and beauty, I’ve learned that confidence is built, not inherited. I want every young girl growing up without a role model to see what’s possible. I am becoming the role model I wished I had as a child. Every runway I walk is for the girls who have been underestimated, overlooked, or told they weren’t enough. I don’t just wear confidence, I embody it. My story proves that with faith, grit, and determination, you can build the life you deserve while inspiring others to do the same.
What would this once in a lifetime experience mean to you and why?
This once in a lifetime experience would mean healing, not just modeling. Growing up, I was painfully shy and insecure. I felt like the ugly duckling, not only in my own family, but in the world. I was bullied, constantly criticized, and grew up believing I had to be thinner, prettier, and more “put together” to be worthy of love. As a Latina, I was surrounded by messages that a woman’s value depended on her appearance and whether she could attract a man. It took years to unlearn those lies, embrace my body, and love the woman staring back at me in the mirror. Walking this runway would be my love letter to the little girl who never felt enough. It would be me telling her, “You are worthy. You are beautiful. You are enough exactly as God created you.” If even one young girl sees herself differently because of my story, every step will be worth it.
What are you most proud of about yourself or what have you overcome and why?
What I’m most proud of is the woman I’ve chosen to become. No matter what I’ve been through, I’ve never let hardship harden my heart. I’m proud to be a loving daughter to my mom, to lead with kindness, forgive even those who have hurt me deeply, and be someone people know they can count on. I’m a connector at heart! I love bringing people together, whether it’s introducing business owners, connecting someone to an opportunity, or helping people find the resources they need to thrive. Their wins feel like my wins. I’m also incredibly proud of earning my double bachelor’s degree. It took me eight years while working two jobs, taking 4–5 classes every semester, and even getting licensed to launch my career in financial services. It wasn’t easy, but I never gave up. Every setback became fuel to keep going. I am living proof that resilience wins. I am, and always will be, a warrior.
What would you do with the $20,000 cash prize?
If I won the $20,000, every dollar would bring me one step closer to fulfilling my mom’s lifelong dream of owning her first home. Everyone who knows me knows I am my mother’s keeper. Everything I do is driven by one purpose: to give her the life she sacrificed so hard for us to have. She endured countless hardships so her children could have opportunities she never did, and I want her to know none of it was in vain. She dreams of a home with a backyard where her grandchildren can run and laugh, a pool for family gatherings, and a front porch where she can sip her coffee on warm summer mornings. Before God calls her home, I want to hand her the keys and say, “Mom, you finally made it.” Winning this wouldn’t just change my life, it would honor hers. To me, that is the greatest success I could ever achieve.
Content from Carolina Lorenzo
Rise is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit that helps sexual assault survivors across the country and around the world. They’ve created the most successful legislative reform movement in U.S. history: 120 laws passed, 1 UN Resolution and 112 million people’s lives impacted by their efforts.
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