Today we’d like to introduce you to Joanna Quan.
Joanna, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Since I was little, I have always wanted a career related to the fashion industry. However, my mind was slowly changed by my parents, my teachers, and even my peers that only specific career paths will lead to success and wealth. Out of those career paths, I chose medical school because my parents are both physicians. I somehow managed to convince myself that becoming a doctor is what I truly wanted and even attended Rice University as a pre-med. I labored through Chemistry and Biology, trying so hard to be the perfect student. I pushed myself so hard that eventually, my physical body gave out. I’ve never been sick with anything except a few colds in my entire life, but towards the end of my Sophomore year at Rice, my chronic shoulder pain reached an all-time high as well as the fatigue I tried to avoid every day. But I still wouldn’t give up, which is why it hurt so much when I finally realized that I don’t want to become a doctor. What made it even worse is that I was actually the last person to find out that I, myself, didn’t want to be a doctor. During my Sophomore year, my closest friends reminded me all the time that if I hated school, the amount that I did, it means the path I chose wasn’t right for me. But I didn’t believe them. I told them that pre-med is hard and this is how hard it should be.
I was wrong. Throughout my Sophomore year at Rice University, I had also been modeling alongside my classes. And although it was hard, I insisted and persisted in scheduling shoots, signing with agencies, etc. But, as my body burned out more and more, I stopped modeling altogether for a long few months to focus on school. And it wasn’t until then that my chronic pain increased and I realized how miserable I was. I realized that modeling was the only thing that kept me going and motivated me to get up in the morning. When I quit pre-med, I was incredibly scared. I also felt incredibly guilty: guilty that my parents had spent so much on my education just for me to tell them I didn’t want to be a doctor anymore. I kept it from them until I couldn’t anymore, and when the truth came out, it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be. As of right now, I’m continuing to major in Psychology and English while minoring in Sociology, but my career plan has shifted magnanimously.
Although it’s stressful completely changing my life around in the middle of my college career, I have never felt so content. That constant stress weighing down on my shoulders is slowly lifting and I’m starting to actually want to live out my life now. I finally accepted my truth and decided to tell the world.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely not. In fact, it’s still a bit bumpy as of right now due to moving back to Dallas because of COVID-19. The biggest struggle I continue to face is definitely having hope that I will become successful in the modeling industry. Unlike becoming a doctor, the modeling world entails less tangible means of success gained through networking, personality, and outward appearance. Having focused on solely school until now, it definitely has been hard shifting my focus from sitting at a desk studying to actually going out to meet new people.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I currently specialize in portrait modeling and commercial modeling. Currently, I use Instagram as my main portfolio/platform, but I’m working on my Patreon and website. I’m proud of how far I’ve gone having just started last summer, but I am very aware I have very far to go as well. I think what sets me apart from others is definitely my personality and my interests, aside from modeling. I want to promote models to be more well-rounded and care about much more than their physical appearance.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Two qualities I think are incredibly important to my success are definitely being mannered as well as having grit. I know having manners and being polite are usually a social expectation, but many would be surprised at how rude people can be. Many of those people even include my own friends and family, haha! But being a Libra, I hate taking out my unhappiness on others, so I always try to be as polite as I can to those who I’ve barely interacted with even if I’m having a horrible day. I just think those people have nothing to do with why I’m unhappy, so they shouldn’t have to bear the burden of it.
I think having grit is definitely another characteristic I value a lot because giving up is very easy in so many situations. However, my mom always told me that the person who makes it through the tough times without sinking are the people who end up successful and doing what they love. So, I try to abide by that any time I feel like giving up.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joannaqluvsu/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/joannaqluvsu
Image Credit:
Alvin Tran (@alvintran.photography)
Christopher Leslie (@christopher_leslie)
Bryan Chan (@bryanchanphotography)
Jerome C. (@socphotography)
Mario (@mariovisuals_)
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