Our July/August Face of the Month walks in looking like any other young woman in Southern California. But as she talks, her bright smile punctuates a focus, determination, and passion for being in front of the camera.  We sat down on one of those oppressively hot, summertime days to learn more about Shayda Shivaei.

Shayda has a lot to celebrate. She just graduated from a prestigious university, has been lending her face to a new makeup line, and has spent much of the spring and summer shooting fashion editorial with Ash Gupta and 838 Media Group.

Being in front of the camera, she says, “. . . gives me an adrenaline rush like nothing else. There’s really no way to explain the excitement I get. I guess it’s what they call passion.”

As a little girl, she wanted to be a librarian and was obsessed with reading. “I wouldn’t do anything but read,” she explains. “Even at recess I would stay in and read instead of go out and play. I would always be ahead of the other kids when it came to reading, and my teachers would always give me those ‘big-kid chapter books’ to read. . . . Once I became more aware of my surroundings, I found out people were making fun of me for being a nerd, so I became insecure about it and tried to be like the other kids; and I found that that was fun, too; so I kind of forgot about reading,  just like that.”

These days she spends time reading fashion magazines and studying campaigns. “I spent an hour,” she tells us, “just looking at the Winter 2014 Dolce & Gabanna. I love their models too.  They pick women and men who can portray a certain character beautifully in their advertisements; I can never get bored watching their photo shoots and seeing the results.”

Shayda describes her personal style as “definitely something I’m trying to work on.” I usually just wear plain clothes,” she clarifies, “like a plain tank top with jeans [and] throw on a bracelet or ring. . . .”

She accents this understated style with her must-have item of makeup—lipstick.  “Sometimes all I wear is lipstick,” she explains.  “My favorites are Pink Poodle Skirt by Lancôme, Fig by Estée Lauder, and Chanel 97. They’re all pretty bold colors, but I find that they work well with my complexion.  And it depends on what mood I’m in.”

Crediting her success 100% to her supportive parents, she says one of her first and favorite modeling experiences was at the age of 13. “I did mannequin modeling for Caché,” she tells us.  “We literally stood in the display window of Caché at a popular mall, and we were just frozen. It was really funny.  People would come around and touch us to see if we were real, and I would move, and they’d scream because they got so scared.”

As our interview continues, the shoot crew in the background is taking a break from the heat, and talking about lunch.  Shayda adds her voice to the topic: “I know this seems like I’m trying to sound like a health nut . . . but honestly, I love vegetables! Sometimes I go to the produce section of Whole Foods just to look at them because they’re so beautiful. There’re so many different shapes and sizes and colors, and they’re packed with more nutrients than anything.  It’s just fascinating.”

As she finishes her coffee, Shayda shares advice she’d give to aspiring models and to anyone following a dream:  “Don’t worry about what anyone says.  It’s totally OK to be a dreamer. Keep running after your dreams with a steady pace, and sprint past everyone and everything that tells you there’s nothing at the finish line. Get to that finish line and prove to them that your dream has been waiting there for you while they were wasting energy doubting you.  Actually, you don’t need to prove anything to anyone.  Just get there and be happy.”

And with that sound advice, she flashes her bright smile and heads off to her next photo shoot.

Shayda at a Glance

5 Adjectives to describe yourself: Compassionate, sympathetic, genuine, sensitive, and honest.

Best advice about modeling: Just breathe.

Favorite Designer: Chanel. When any kind of woman wears Chanel, they just exude class and elegance.

Disco, pop, rock-and-roll or dubstep? I’ll listen to anything; it just depends on how I’m feeling at the moment.

Check out the fashion editorial, photographed by Ash Gupta 838 Media Group L.A.