Who will walk the runway during New York Fashion Week and win $20,000? You decide.
Yelena Marie G.
Must finish first in their group to advance to the Quarterfinals.
Voting for this round ends on August 18, 2026 at 9:00 PM EDT
About Yelena Marie G.
Hi I’m Yelena! I am bilingual & neurodivergent! As a survivor of the troubled teen industry, any & all humanitarian/social justice advocacy is deeply important to me! I am passionate about vintage fashion, as well as psychology & neuroscience!
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Learn More About Yelena Marie G.
What makes you the Next Runway Star?
Simply put, I am unapologetically myself. Always.
What would this once in a lifetime experience mean to you and why?
To me personally, every step I take, every success of mine, every chance I have, to obtain an audience of any kind, is an opportunity to use my privilege, voice & platform to shed light on the ongoing ab*se & neglect of minors in the troubled teen industry. As a survivor of TTI myself, & a product of the homeless shelter system, using my voice to advocate for marginalized communities, specifically those with disabilities, means everything to me. Representation matters. It is an honor to represent my community & women living with comorbid mental illnesses. This once in a lifetime opportunity would continue & help fund my vow to dedicate my life to something greater. To advocacy, as well as showing young girls growing up with self limiting beliefs, that anything is possible.
What are you most proud of about yourself or what have you overcome and why?
To be completely honest, my journey has just begun. I spent the first 20 years of my life, living as if life was something that had happened to me. I carried a lot of resentment for simply being born, & only in recent years have I started to visualize what a future may look like for me. My life is just beginning & how I choose to carry myself throughout, is what matters most to me now. One could argue there is a lot I have overcome. Whether that be being institutionalized, living in the shelter system or simply learning to navigate a life with a mental disability. I however, would consider gaining radical acceptance for my mere existence my greatest achievement thus far. Hopefully there will be many more honorable to follow.
What would you do with the $20,000 cash prize?
I have always been quite entrepreneurial & outspoken. With my winnings I would invest & collect interest. I would continue with my business ventures so that I am able to retire & earn passive income. From there I can dedicate my life & free time to public service & volunteering for causes that matter most to me. I could donate as much as possible in the moment to nonprofits I value, however I've come to the conclusion it makes most sense for me to do so over my lifetime, rather than in one sum. I would also like to continue my education & travel the world with my newfound acceptance for life. That being said, I absolutely would make a donation to the LA LGBT Center, a homeless shelter/resource center located in Hollywood California. As a former youth resident of that shelter, I know how magical all the special events hosted are. I would love to help organize a dignifying glam photoshoot for the residents & elders.
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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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