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Issue link: https://digital.miamilivingmagazine.com/i/1381484
We don’t often associate beauty models with science, technology, engineering and mathematics….until now. Meet Haley Kalil, a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model who is launching “The Nerd Herd” – an organization that empowers women to love their bodies and minds, while working to educate the new generation of women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). A cause Haley is passionate about as an accomplished scientist herself (who earned a collegiate 4.0 in Biomedical Sciences & Psychology, with a minor in Chemistry). Haley will be releasing a collection of Nerd Herd loungewear later this year, donating 100% of the proceeds from the first launch to organizations like Black Girls Code that help get young women involved in STEM. Miami Living chatted with Haley to learn more. Miami Living: I understand that Miami was the birthplace of your modeling career. How did that exactly happen? Haley Kalil: Miami holds a special place in my heart because it was the first place I ever modeled. I was a lab nerd living in my home town of Minnesota, who had recently graduated with a double major in Biomedical Sciences and Psychology with a minor in Chemistry. I was drawn to the study of cellular tissue and medicine. While studying for my MCAT and preparing to apply to medical school, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit held their first ever open casting call. I always wanted to be a model but I never knew how! As a nerdy kid growing up in Minnesota... It seemed like an impossible dream. Thankfully, I built up the courage and submitted a casting video to the iconic SI Swimsuit. To my surprise, they invited me to the casting in NYC. After the casting, I was chosen as one of only 15 women to walk in Miami Swim Week. This was the birth of my modeling career. I’ll never forget walking that runway in front of what felt like all of Miami... so nervous but also so excited for what the future could hold. Who knew that runway would be the start of an entirely new life.