Tell this to Ana Carina Sideco and she will simply challenge you. She describes today’s models as diverse people who have "serious" careers.
"I want to find a job worthy of my college degree. Being beautiful isn’t enough," says Ana, a recent graduate of Computer Science from De La Salle University.
Ana, 22, was named Face of the Night 2005 and a runner-up for Model of the Year 2005 both presented by Modelo Pilipinas. When she was in fourth year college, she proved all and sundry that she only didn’t have the looks but also the brains when she became a consistent dean’s lister.
In a brood of three, Ana is the youngest child of Ricardo Sideco and Carina San Juan. She admits she is a lolo’s girl. Her fondest memory of her grandfather was a text message from him saying ‘Wake up’ the morning he passed away.
Ana’s closeness to her lolo also taught her to lead by example. Her hobbies, on the other hand, were influenced by her mom. "When I was a child, I would always see my mom with a book and that encouraged me to read." She lists the Shannara and the Dragon Lance series as among her favorites. True enough, those books make her break away from being frugal.
"I stick to my budget all the time," Ana says, "but don’t bring me to a bookstore." Nevertheless, Ana’s self-imposed frugality is very indicative of how well she can control herself when it comes to handling her finances. In fact, Ana adds, she does not necessarily follow trends.
"The things I like are considered kakaiba (different). For example, I didn’t watch Superman but I don’t feel left out or out-dated. I won’t do something because it’s ‘in.’ Much more, I won’t do anything just to satisfy others," she adds.
"Believe in yourself," she says of the motto she stands by. She cites Kate Moss as her idol. "Like Kate Moss, my height is 5’7", too. But her height didn’t stop her to become a supermodel."
"A STAR Dream Girl is someone who sticks to her principles. She is someone who believes that inner beauty is more important than any physical attributes," Ana concludes. – Maria Phoebe A. Marquez