Check Out Alicia Buendia’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alicia Buendia

Hi Alicia, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My name is Alicia Buendia, I am currently a 19-year-old student at the California State University of Long Beach studying Kinesiology Exercise Science, and am an aspiring Physical Therapist and model. In addition to this, I am a beauty pageant titleholder from the Miss Filipina Teen International beauty pageant. I was born and raised in Santa Clarita with two sisters and grew up loving dancing, music, and staying active in different types of fitness and exercises. Growing up in a Filipino household, my culture and compassion for my family and friends were always prevalent in my everyday life. This background led me to find my passion for physical therapy in wanting to help and aid others become the best versions of themselves- physically and mentally. Living in a primarily white area sparked my passion to bring awareness to my culture through modeling and pageantry. When the opportunity came to me in 2022 to become a candidate for the Miss Filipina Teen International pageant, I took the opportunity with full force and ended up winning 8 titles along with placing as 2nd Runner Up. This experience led me to amazing opportunities in the modeling industry such as walking in New York Fashion Week, Milan Fashion Week, Las Vegas Fashion Week, and LA Fashion Week. In addition, I’ve had the pleasure of being able to work with various designers and brands in fashion, and hope to continue to work with more and give back to my community. I am so grateful to have had all of these experiences and am currently preparing to embark on my next journey as I will be competing in a national pageant in the Philippines next year, with an official announcement coming soon!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There were some struggles along the way, both with modeling and finding my right career path. Growing up, I have always loved the articulateness and complexity of the fashion world- which also sparked my love for modeling. But these opportunities have not always come easily. I have been told that I wasn’t tall enough, or have stood out for being the only person of color in some settings. Although these obstacles were challenging, I did not let them hinder my abilities and aspirations to reach my goals. I took things one step at a time and started by working with smaller brands and then eventually walking in various fashion shows. With Physical Therapy, it is still a journey I am continuously facing as I am completing my undergraduate degree in Kinesiology Exercise Science. Even though the subject has been difficult with many strenuous and time-consuming classes, I have utilized the resources around me and gained the help of many friends and family in pushing me to be successful in my academics. At times, my schedule has been challenging to balance out, but I’ve learned to use my time wisely in stabilizing my schedule to allot time for each of my priorities.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I currently work as a Physical Therapist Aide at an aquatic therapy clinic, where I aid Physical Therapists in patient care while overseeing therapeutic treatments. In addition to this, I am a freelance model and take gigs on the side when it fits into my schedule. I am proudest of how far I have come in my academic career and modeling, as these are passions I never imagined myself to be doing growing up. Gaining this experience in the physical therapy clinic has prepared me to also take on Doctor of Physical Therapy School in the near future. I feel that my resilience to be successful in attaining my dreams through balancing out all the activities I tackle in my everyday life has set me apart from others.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I define success as someone who is fruitful in their endeavors and completely content with the life they have built for themselves. I believe someone successful is not only flourishing financially but also successful in becoming the person they dreamed of being as a kid.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aliciaabuendia
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alicia.buendia.944