Today we’d like to introduce you to Jaz Mosh.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Jaz. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Growing up, I dealt with a lot of bullying and negative body image issues. I was sort of a nerd and always dreamed of being a model. In my late teens, I finally decided to pursue my modeling dreams by reaching out to photographers and going to castings. For several years I worked as a model in addition to holding several other jobs in order to sustain a stable income. However, I never felt like working as a model had enough purpose, so I put my modeling career on hiatus and committed my life to my studies and work in the field of psychology. I graduated with my masters in May 2019, with a 4.0, and I have been working full time as a senior human factors researcher since.
In 2016, halfway through my graduate program, a friend of mine reached out to me about joining a new ethical modeling agency that she was starting up called Role Models Mgmt. Shortly afterwards, I signed my contract with them and I have been working with them ever since. I joined role models because it meant more than being a model, it meant using our platform to make a change by supporting things such as sustainability, positive body image, social responsibility, etc. We have monthly volunteer opportunities to be involved in activities such as beach clean-ups and feeding children in shelters. Our whole Role Models family is filled with brilliant women working together to make a difference in the world. More often than not, people assume that beauty and intelligence are not related and I am excited for the new generation of women breaking that stereotype.
Has it been a smooth road?
It definitely has not been a smooth road for me financially, physically, or emotionally. Growing up, we didn’t have much money and my father was both physically and emotionally abusive. On top of that I was constantly being bullied in school. By the time I was 16, my dad left us and I had to start working full-time in order to support myself and help my family. I have been working full-time ever since. This was particularly difficult while I was in college and graduate school. Having a full course load was difficult enough but having to also work multiple jobs to support my self and fund my education, made it feel nearly impossible. At one point, I even donated my eggs to fund a couple of semesters of graduate school and ended up in and out of the hospital with complications for weeks afterwards. During graduate school, I probably averaged about 4 hours of sleep a night between working six jobs, working on my thesis, and maintaining a 4.0 GPA.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
Currently, my primary job is working as a human factors researcher. I would say that I have a pretty nerdy job to say the least and I absolutely love it. I have been working for my company, HFCSI, for about four years now and I really couldn’t be happier with the amazing and innovative work that we do. Something that sets me apart from my colleagues and others in my field is that I am also working as a model on the side. You’ll often see me taking lunch breaks from testing medical devices or from report writing to catch a casting. Occasionally, I’ll use my off days to do a photoshoot or take part in some kind of volunteer activity with my modeling agency.
I always dreamed of being a model as a child and when I was old enough to pursue this dream, I was disappointed to find out that it wasn’t all that I thought it was cut out to be. More often than not, I found that the industry was riddled with unethical practices and just an overall negative vibe. It was really competitive and unhealthy. So I put that all aside to pursue my education because I felt that I wanted my life to have more purpose than just being skinny and pretty.
It wasn’t until years later that I joined Role Models. Role Models Mgmt is an ethical agency that represents models with health beliefs and values. When I found out that there was a way to both fulfill my dream of working as a model and have a positive message while doing so, I was ecstatic. On top of all of the good things Role Models stands for, the agency has also been so flexible with my schedule and has allowed me to pursue my modeling career while finishing graduate school and my primary career as a human factors researcher.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Signing with my agency, while working at HFCSI, and still managing to graduate from my master’s program with a 4.0. I didn’t think it was possible to pursue my modeling and human factors careers while obtaining my masters, so when I did so with flying colors, I was extremely surprised and happy.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rolemodelsmgmt.com/about
- Email: jazmosh@gmail.com

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