Trying to Be the Model Single Mom

Lorena Diaz is a single parent struggling to launch a modeling career. Chance Adam Diaz, her 3-year-old son, enjoys going along on interviews , and sometimes he gets the job. They live in Burbank.

I started working when I was 13 years old. I worked for the city, cleaning up parks--the boots and the jeans and the gloves and the helmet and the little vest, the whole outfit. We worked the hottest hours of the day in the summertime, carrying dirt from one place to another, clearing the horse trails of the weeds and everything.

I thought: “Oh my gosh, this is terrible. No wonder everybody hates to work.” But after that, all my jobs were easy, because that was so difficult.

My parents were able to afford a lot of things for us, but I wanted a special kind of jeans and my own shampoo and everything. I was able to buy my own things even when I still lived at home.

That’s pretty much what I thought of then, just being able to buy what I want to buy and wear what I want to wear and look how I want to look.

Ever since ninth grade I wanted to be a model. When I was younger, and still now, when I think of modeling I think of modeling beautiful $1,000 outfits like they do in Paris.

I moved out when I was about 17 years old, and then I had a baby when I was 18, and it was the greatest thing in the world. I’m happier than I ever thought I could be. I’ve always wanted a baby, ever since I was little. I used to play with my dolls until I was in the 7th grade.

But being a single parent has its bad points. Sometimes I get depressed, and I think, “Oh, no,” when I’m rushing around late. But every other time it’s fine, because I’m just glad I had him. I’m glad it didn’t go any other way.

I started weightlifting just to keep in shape. I work out three nights a week, and I go to Bible study on Tuesday at my mom’s house. It’s nice, because the last time I can remember my family all together like that was when I was 12 years old at dinner time.

It’s not really religion to me; it’s just getting closer to God and reading the Bible. It made me a better person in a lot of ways--just being a better mom to my son, not getting angry all the time and just being more patient with him.

Last summer I heard on the radio about the Hispanic Model Search. I went on the interview and I took my portfolio, and they just asked me a few questions, so, “Maybe we’ll call you.” I said. “Thank you.” So they called me. I was in the contest. That was the one in Montebello for J.C. Penney.

I just did my best, and I had lots of fun with it. I smiled a lot, and I won. I was surprised, I was shocked and I was so happy. I felt like Miss America when they gave me my roses, walking down the aisle. I never really experienced anything like that before.

They told us if you win you go to Dallas for the big final. I thought if I win it will be great. If I lose it won’t be a big deal, because then I won’t have to go on the airplane. But then I won, and that was my first time on an airplane, my first time out of the state, so I got a lot of things out of it.

When they announced the winner, we were standing there smiling, and I wanted to cry. When you want something really bad, it affects you. But at the same time, I wasn’t really surprised because everyone did so well.

My son is the most important thing to me. He’s great, he’s a character, and he looks just like me and he does everything like me. He goes out on interviews with me a lot. He did a diaper commercial when he was a year and a half old, and he did great. They loved him. He sees himself on TV, and he’ll go, “There I am, my ‘mercial, my ‘mercial.”

He goes when I go, and then I go with him. I think either he’ll make it or I’ll make it. Whichever one, it’ll be good. If he makes it, that’ll be enough.