A traumatic brain injury suffered during her junior year of high school didn’t stop Jami Zacharias from graduating on time and chasing her dreams to New York City.
Zacharias, a 2015 graduate of Cambridge-Isanti High School and daughter of Tim and Tracy Zacharias of Cambridge, moved to New York City at the end of June 2016 to pursue her modeling career after signing a contract with Extreme Model Management.
Growing up, Zacharias, 20, said she was always in theater and musicals, making her feel comfortable in front of people, and sparked her love for the entertainment industry.
“My first summer after high school I got into promotional modeling, working at events all over the Twin Cities such as Taste of Minnesota, Senior Olympics, concerts, Minnesota Twins games, etc. One day, at one of my promos, the manager of the event asked me if I had ever tried print modeling and was eager to tell me all about it. She gave me the name of some people to contact, and soon I was doing small shoots all over Minnesota and Wisconsin. As jobs kept coming in, my mind kept wondering ‘what if,’” Zacharias said. “I started applying to tons of agencies in New York and eventually got signed to Extreme. Unfortunately the jobs weren’t coming in as steadily as I had hoped, so I ended up cutting ties with Extreme in October so I wouldn’t have to only work through them.”
Since moving to New York City, Zacharias has participated in Fashion Week in September 2016 and February 2017.
“September was my first time walking in New York Fashion Week, and I was expecting it to be all calm and cute, kind of like what you see on TV when the Victoria’s Secret show is on, but it was anything but that,” Zacharias said. “You sit in hair for one to two hours in a tiny room with 20 other girls, all also getting their hair done. While they’re doing your hair they usually have someone doing your nails (and toe nails depending on the shoes). Then you head over to makeup which can take one to three hours depending on the look the designer wants. It’s pure chaos.”
Meeting new people has been a fun part of Zacharias’ move to New York City.
“My favorite part of walking in New York Fashion Week in September and this past February is all the amazing models and entertainment professionals I get to meet,” Zacharias said. “Sometimes it’s hard to remember you’re at work and can’t jump off the runway to take a selfie with Perez Hilton.”
Being in front of the camera comes easy for Zacharias.
“One thing I really enjoy about modeling is the creativity and freedom it gives me,” Zacharias said. “Getting in front of the camera is honestly relaxing for me; it gives me time to tune out the world and just be in the moment. I also love all the amazing people I have met through modeling. You tend to work with the same people fairly often and they truly are like a second family to me.”
Zacharias has done photo shoots in many different places in New York City.
“One of the coolest places I have gotten to shoot is Gallow Green; it’s an old-time rooftop restaurant right in the middle of Manhattan,” Zacharias said. “The restaurant is on top of an old factory building that they turned into a hotel and they have full-sized train cars and old industrial equipment that they’ve turned into tables and booths.”
Zacharias said her family is very supportive of her endeavors and is excited to see her career advancing. Her mother attended her first fashion show at New York Fashion Week in September 2016. Zacharias is also currently taking online courses through Anoka Ramsey Community College.
“My biggest inspirations are my grandparents and my parents. My grandparents on both sides have had my back through this crazy journey and are always there when I need a little pick-me-up after a bad casting or when I just want to talk,” Zacharias said. “My parents also have been a big inspiration. They’ve always taught me that I can achieve anything I set my mind to as long as I am willing to work for it. My biggest inspiration right now, though, would have to be my mom. She was recently diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and I have never seen anyone fight the way that she has. When I found out she had cancer, I wanted to cancel all of my jobs, pick up and go. But she told me absolutely not. Even though I know she was probably wishing she could have her whole family together during the first few weeks of this scary time, she cared more about seeing me succeed and achieve my dreams.”
Zacharias credits designer Anthony Rubio for helping advance her career.
“I have worked with many amazing designers, but one who has really helped me take my career to the next level is Anthony Rubio who designs both women’s and canine couture,” Zacharias said. “You can see his designs all over the women and dogs of Hollywood. He is such a nice guy and really took me under his wing. Thanks to him I have been able to keep myself busy with work without having an agency. Coming up you can expect to see me on Vice, Par Le Patreq ads, BravoTV Online, Echrise New York ads, Time Magazine’s LightBox, Anthony Rubio ads and many more.”
Her faith keeps Zacharias in touch with her roots.
“Nothing can totally prepare you for life in New York City; when people say it’s fast-paced and crazy, they aren’t joking,” Zacharias said. “One thing that has really helped me is my faith. I grew up going to First Baptist Church with my family and the lessons I learned are ones I still carry with me. It’s no secret that people in the modeling world like to ‘have fun,’ but having a strong faith background has helped me stick true to myself and not get involved in things just because others are.”
Encouraging others to always believe in themselves is important to Zacharias.
“When I was a junior in high school, I received a traumatic brain injury that took me almost two years to recover from,” Zacharias said. “For a while, it was unclear whether I would be able to graduate on time or not, let alone start college the following semester, and then move to New York. You can achieve anything you set your mind to. The only thing in the way of you achieving your dreams is yourself.”