Age: 17

Born: February 11, 1991

Made in: Victoria

When not just your family and friends, but strangers in the street, constantly say you would be a great model, it really is worth giving it a shot.

Such is the case for Melbourne beauty Shanina, a bright but quietly spoken young woman who appears born to walk the catwalks of Milan.

Shanina does as most teenagers do, movies, dancing and shopping but her life-time love is fashion – she even named her two dogs Ralph and Lauren.

Taking her mother's advice that she must always have balance in her life and match her looks with smarts, Shanina is part of an accelerated program at her high school that keeps her at least six months ahead of most year 11 students.

"I've been into modelling since I was 8, through an agency, but I stopped at year 7 to concentrate on school," she says. "But friends, family and people in the street kept saying I should do modelling, so I got back into it at 15."

Most of her work has included catalogue and small fashion parades, but Shanina says she is hungry "for more" and hopes her distinctive look will take her there.

"I'm not sure if my look is an advantage or not, it's quite exotic," she says.

Shanina's mother has Lithuanian blood while her father is Pakistani-Saudi Arabian.

Shanina lives with her mother, who is her greatest supporter and taxi until the teen gets her P-plates. But she loves nothing more than baby-sitting her 1-year-old half brother at her father's house.

While the competitive elements and the experience of living in the house with a bunch of strangers will be a culture shock for the teenager, Shanina has her plan set out.

"I'm going to keep my state of mind really positive and stay as confident as I can," she says. "If I don't do that, I won't perform. My greatest fear would be to trip and fall on the catwalk, but that would be the same for everyone."

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