Living a Double Life; Student by Day, Model by Night

Lincoln High School student Makayla Slick pursues modeling in her free time.

By Sydney Ward

When you hear the word model, one thing you may think of is how tall they are. Being tall is just one of the qualities a model needs to have to be successful. It also comes down to exercise and diet, plus the time and patience needed for photo shoots.


Lincoln High School sophomore Makayla Slick carries out lots of hobbies in her free time. Along with doing hours of IB Chemistry homework, she plays piano, hangs out with her dog, participates in Aikido, and has a passion for modeling.


Being a model can be a lot of fun, but Slick says it’s hard work as well.

“Always looking perfect is high pressure,” Slick said of modeling. “I have to sleep a certain way so that I don’t bloat. I can’t drink any water after a certain time. Let’s say I am bloated one day, then it’s like, oh, how do I hide that?”


Slick says participating in the activities required for modeling doesn’t necessarily take away from her school work, but preparing for it does.

“It’s more just like keeping up my body [...] stress of ‘when am I going to eat, how much am I going to eat, when am I going to exercise, [and] how hard do I need to exercise,’” says Slick of her preparation for modeling. “I try to plan it [shoots] on the weekends, or, sometimes I leave during Flex to do it.”


Slick now models on a weekly basis, and so far, she’s had a great outcome. However, modeling was never the plan for Slick, and she actually wants to pursue a career in Dentistry.

“I never thought I’d ever be a model [...] I’d probably use it to help put myself through college,” Slick says. “I’ve learned I’m really lucky, not many people get this opportunity.”


Being tall is the most recognized quality that all models share, but there’s more to it.

“You book more jobs, you stand out,” Slick says of tall models. “Height requirements are usually 5”9 to 6 ft, [...] but once you reach 6ft, it’s kind of hard to book jobs.”


While Slick may not be a model for the rest of her life, she says that she has learned some very important life lessons that she will carry with her forever,

“[Modeling has definitely] made me more confident,” says Slick. “It has made me more open to talking to people.”