David De Jesus slips as he walks down the stairs to the Ralph Lauren runway near Central Park, almost bringing the girl he stands with down too. His nerves are starting to show. Anyone would if they were walking down the steps to the runway of New York Fashion Week. Especially if it’s their first time walking a runway--ever.

From a restaurant in Philadelphia, De Jesus’ mom and sister are watching the Ralph Lauren runway livestream, waiting to see him make an appearance. The livestream cuts from the audience--Oprah, Kim and Kanye, Hillary Clinton, the Jonas Brothers--to the back to De Jesus’ head as he walks off the stage. Pride and glee fill the air of that Philly restaurant.

Just a year earlier, De Jesus decided to leave Emerson College as a freshman Visual Media Arts Major. Due to the raises in tuition and no increase in financial aid, De Jesus and his family found that they could no longer afford another three years. Nonetheless determined to be successful, De Jesus committed to finding a way that he could make films and art while being back home.

While attending Emerson, he’d model for different magazines, in addition to acting in other people’s films, on top of all the creative work that he was doing for himself. When he returned to Philly he began casually modeling for local brands, including one called Paratodo. Soon after, a modeling agency called U Models posted to their professional Instagram page: a call for fresh faces. De Jesus responded to the posting and told his mother agent (a model’s main agent who helps them get signed by secondary agents worldwide) to check out his page. By May of 2018, the agency signed on with De Jesus and began to get his face out in the industry through casting calls.

Casting for New York Fashion Week was just like any other casting, De Jesus received a few requests from various brands, but nothing really came of it. That is until his agent called him to say that Ralph Lauren requested him back for a fitting. From there, he got accepted to walk for their 50th anniversary. Not knowing what to expect or how renowned Ralph Lauren was, De Jesus agreed to walk for them. Before the show, his heart raced as he tried to contain the mix of nervousness and excitement he felt.

A model’s first runway is always a big deal, but when their first runway is New York Fashion Week for Ralph Lauren, it’s a whole different level of stress. De Jesus was dressed in a blue button-down paired with a black tie and a preppy v-neck sweater fashioned with a crest, all under a navy plaid suit jacket. He walked down the stairs and under an archway and onto the carpeted runway while the crowd watched his every step. Anne Hathaway and Oprah sat and drank champagne. Kim Kardashian chatted with Kanye. Priyanka Chopra took photos of her favorite outfits while Anderson Cooper sat front row, watching the models don new looks from Ralph Lauren’s collection. De Jesus had these celebrities’ attention. They were interested in him and he said that was one of the wildest moments. “Everybody looks at you guys and now you are looking at me.” Camera lights flashed and in the blink of an eye the walk was over and he was off the stage.

Soon after the show, De Jesus was signed onto a campaign for Ralph Lauren’s P-Wing collection. His photos were on their website, their Instagram, and physical stores carrying the collection. Modeling agencies based in NYC, Milan, and Germany began to represent De Jesus. And he started a new routine.

Each week he would work, go to the gym, return home to eat dinner with his family, travel to New York, do casting calls and shoots, and go home again. Traveling has become an integral part of De Jesus’ modeling career. Soon he will be moving to NYC to be closer to work and cut down on travel costs. He’ll still visit his mom in Philly, however, because the two are as close as can be.

“My mom is my biggest inspiration. My hero,” De Jesus tells me. Not only is she his personal trainer, but also his rock. She supported him through school and after deciding to leave it. Ever since he was little his mom always encouraged his dreams, “She put her dream on pause so I could have mine.” He says he now finally has an opportunity where he can give back to her for everything she’s done for him. He wants to be able to make her proud and take care of his family, just like she has throughout his life. When De Jesus told her that he wanted to be an architect, she motivated him. When he wanted to be a wrestler, they looked at wrestling schools together. At 13, De Jesus told his mom that he had a great idea for a script and that he wanted to be a screenwriter.

De Jesus was always an artistic kid. He started drawing when he was ten years old. He was really focused on people’s faces and became skilled at drawing them. “Lines convey emotion,” his aunt told him—about drawing—and he has always believed in that since. Throughout high school, De Jesus captured people’s emotions through theatre and other art forms. He would have studied theatre to make stories come to life, but he loves the potential that film has to be limitless. He wants to make films for everyone, especially kids like him who used to get lost watching them on the big screen with their family. The ability to escape into a film is something De Jesus is passionate about and something he hopes to make other people passionate about.

Modeling is not the end for De Jesus. He still intends to make films and maybe even act in the future, and he hopes that this is a big stepping stone to what he eventually wants to do for a career. De Jesus wants to finish college and get a degree for himself and to make his mother proud. Currently, he is looking into acting programs in New York, “My career end goal is to win an Oscar for best original screenplay.” Through modeling he has made many industry connections and gotten his face out there, ready to be recognized just like the number of actors who have gotten their start while modeling. So far his modeling career has been very successful, but he never thought it had the potential to become a large part of his life. Without this opportunity, De Jesus says that getting to his end goal would be much more difficult. He tells me this is his opportunity to get his foot in the door and achieve his dreams and pay for college. “I never considered it seriously; it was just something that happened. I feel like it was put in my path so I can get to my goal. It is just a stepping stone.”

Model Status: A Stepping Stone