Suave Siakie is talented, successful, and has a sparkling personality that can grace the covers of top class fashion magazines globally. The photogenic modeling star is never afraid to fail and looks forward to impress at the show which has gained worldwide respect.

She spoke to AfricaNews about her future:

AfricaNews: Briefly tell us about yourself?

Sarah Siakie: I grew up in Burma Camp, Accra, Ghana. I played soccer since I was a little girl, and I continued to play in high School till I graduated. New York City is well-known for fashion industries and modeling agencies. Since residing here in New York City, I have developed a passion for modeling. Modeling was new to me when I came to the United States, so I decided to learn more about the industry and also have a good experience being a model.

AfricaNews: Why is an athlete so passionate about modeling?

Sarah: Being an athlete has kept me in good shape and that has given me the confidence to be comfortable in my own body. And as a model, it is very important for me to exercise.

AfricaNews: What do you hope to achieve with modeling in the future?

Sarah: I want to be very successful in modeling not only as an ambitious African, but to also have a huge impact on my fellow African ladies and ladies worldwide.

AfricaNews: What does it mean to you to be winner of America's Next Top Model audition in Connecticut in the U.S?

Sarah: Winning the America’s Next Top Model audition for cycle 16 in CT has granted me an opportunity to a guaranteed audition with the producers of the show. I needed to win that audition in CT in order to move forward towards this big dream of mine, and this is a very good beginning towards something big in my life.

AfricaNews: How did you prepare towards that and did you see it coming?

Sarah: About a week before the audition, I really felt I wasn’t ready. Not only was I preparing for my summer school exams, but I had no choice but to go to the audition, because I strongly felt it was going to be such a good experience and an opportunity to take advantage of. What was even worse, at the audition, I didn’t yet receive a confirmation that proved that I was guaranteed an audition that day. Almost about a 100 ladies had already received their confirmation. Luckily, I had a chance to enter my name in a random selection process. Despite this chance, I still had to wait for a few hours for the results. It was one of the scariest feelings I ever had, because, if I wasn’t picked randomly, I wasn’t going to be on stage.


Charming Sarah Siakie in action for the lenses

Whiles waiting to be chosen, I pretended it wouldn’t be the end of my world just because I didn’t get a chance to enter that audition. I still cheered for many of the ladies who auditioned before me. I was never in a rush. I already knew my time would come for me to be on stage, and when it did, I was to be very prepared, because, I had already seen how the majority of the ladies being auditioned in the open. Half of me told me I would win, and other, thought I wouldn’t. I was nervous during the random selection, but I gained back my confidence on stage and that’s all it matters. I somehow saw it coming because I really showed a lot of efforts on stage.

AfricaNews: What has been your motivation?

Sarah: My mom’s determination towards giving me hope to achieve for the best in life has really been my inspiration. She didn’t have the best in life, yet the way she lives her life every day, encourages me to be a better person and hope for my dreams to be fulfilled. Even though she is not with me in the U.S, I still feel she is with me every minute of my stay here in New York.

AfricaNews: Why do you say you are ambitious, curious and adventurous on your Facebook profile?

Sarah: Ambitious: I was introduced to something new, modeling, and with that desire to be a model, I have been encouraged to work hard towards achieving that goal. I have competed against many beautiful women during this audition, and that gives me a boost of confidence to say that, regardless of where you come from, or who you are, it’s all about the determination and saying “no” to failure, and that makes me ambitious.

Curious: There is so much to learn from modeling and I still want to see more out there. I will keep “testing the waters” with my curiosity.

Adventure: Being an African and a model, I am definitely adventurous. I love traveling.

AfricaNews: Apart from modeling, what else do you do?

Sarah: I am a full time student in New York City College of Technology. I am majoring in Architecture and I am entering my third year. As an honor student in school, I must also keep my grades high as architecture will be the foundation of my life, and modeling has a comparatively short window of opportunity.

AfricaNews: Where do you see yourself in the next 5-10 years?

Sarah: Well, I hope to realize my passion as a model. I will also love to be in many different countries, inspiring determined women out there, to never give up their hopes and dreams of becoming somebody.

AfricaNews: Final words to your fans

Sarah: If you discover something in you, so strong that, it shows physically and mentally, let it out. If you have a passion for something, no matter how you discovered it, you are the only one who can encourage yourself to succeed in making that passion a reality. One thing! Do not be afraid to fail. I failed in my first two auditions in the earlier years, but that didn’t discourage me to keep trying. I wish you the best in succeeding in life.