Student Model Walks the Walk

Modeling seems almost inevitable for this half-Lebanese, half-Dutch 20-year-old.Standing at 5 feet 8 inches tall, PCC public relations major Amber A. Samra was thrown into the world of lights and cameras at a young age.

At the tender age of 4, Samra did work for Fisher Price, Gap and even some commercials for her preschool. However, during her elementary school years, Samra's young career came to a halt.

"It was all my mother's idea and my dad was against the whole modeling thing, so I didn't do anything again until I turned about 13. I felt like I wanted to model again," Samra said.

She began putting her portfolio together and updating it until she was 16. Then, it was off to New York, where Samra met with the harsh reality of the industry.

"I went to meet with some reps from Calvin Klein. They bashed me. They said I was too short and too heavy. That was hard to take at 16, but I didn't care," Samra said.

Samra's dedication and persistence proved to be worth it. By the time she was 18, Samra had five national commercials promoting clubs in Chicago and decided it was time to try and hit the big time: Los Angeles.

Samra moved to Los Angeles and lived with her uncle for the first year while taking some general classes at PCC and working at Starbucks.

In June 2008, she took part in 15 runway shoes for Michelle Liu's EMEL, House of Bliss L.A. and Yvonne Bailey.

"Amber's always been very, very, very pleasant. She has her mind set on something and does whatever it takes to reach her goals," said Bailey. "She's a great model and has a great walk, you can tell she's been doing this for a while."

Once things started taking off, Samra moved out on her own to Hollywood, where she decided to adjust her career trajectory from fashion to commercial.

By the end of 2008, Samra started filming the indie "Kissing Strangers," a romantic comedy about the complications between the sexes set to be released this summer

"I got the role as the lead's best friend," Samra said. "It was fun with a good cast and a great experience which led to more opportunities.."

When the film shoot was through, Samra paid a brief visit to hometown Chicago to clear her head from the industry,.

"I had to pull myself together, so I went to Chicago for two months. L.A. changes you without [you] knowing it," Samra said.

Now, Samra's back and a full-time student at PCC.

She still models on the weekends and has contracts with Ranahan Jeans. She's currently negotiating a contract with Quiksilver and O'Neill and recently did a nationwide photo shoot for the Ritz-Carlton hotels.

David Ayala, who photographed Samra for the Ritz-Carlton shoot, was impressed with Samra's work ethic.

"Amber and I have worked together a couple times before. She's very easy to work with. She has a good personality and leaves her crap at the door," Ayala said.

However, her overly ambitious attitude tends to bring a little bit of fear.

"My biggest fear is failure, and I feel like it's bound to happen because I want to do so much," Samra said.

But despite the rollercoaster relationship Samra holds with the fashion and modeling industry, she feels it is where she belongs.

"I was never accepted anywhere else. Girls hated me, guys only wanted to be with me. Modeling accepted me the most," Samra said.

Samra opened up the FCI Fashion Show at the Celebrity Center for Fall 2009 Fashions on May 7.