I would not recommend a teen getting into modeling if they're

Hear, O sons and daughters of tomorrow, the wisdom of Tyra Banks, who said: “I would not recommend a teen getting into modeling if they’re not solid when it comes to their grades and school. That comes first. My mother always told me that came first.” This is no idle warning but a teaching born of trial, of labor, and of the enduring wisdom passed from parent to child. For the world of fame and beauty is fleeting, but the foundation of learning is a fortress that no storm can tear down.

The words begin with a warning to the teen. Youth is a time of hunger, a time when dreams burn bright and the glitter of distant success seems within reach. To a young heart, the call of modeling—its lights, its praise, its promises of grandeur—may appear greater than the dull rhythm of books and study. Yet Tyra, who walked the path of fashion herself, speaks with clarity: without the firm ground of school, the glitter will fade, and the soul will be left adrift.

Consider the power of grades, not as numbers, but as symbols of discipline, of effort, of learning how to persevere through challenge. The runway may grant applause, but education grants tools that endure long after the applause is gone. To be “solid” in school is to be armed against the uncertainties of life, to hold within one’s mind the knowledge that can build, rebuild, and rebuild again, no matter what fortune brings.

The origin of Tyra’s words lies in the wisdom of her mother, who told her that education must come first. This is the eternal voice of parents who know that beauty fades but wisdom endures. It echoes the counsel of sages across centuries: that the true adornment of a person is not found in outward form, but in the richness of their mind and the strength of their character. A crown upon the head may be lost in a day, but the crown of knowledge shines until death and beyond.

History confirms this truth. Consider Frederick Douglass, born into bondage, who risked his very life to learn to read. He knew that literacy was the path to freedom, that education would make him strong in ways no chains could hold. Later, his words became weapons sharper than swords, leading others into light. Though he was never a model upon a runway, he modeled the power of the educated spirit—proof eternal that school comes first.

Tyra’s teaching is thus not a denial of dreams, but a protection of them. To walk in modeling or in any field of glamour is not sin, but it must be built upon a firm foundation. Dreams without discipline crumble; beauty without knowledge is hollow. By placing education first, the dreamer ensures that no matter what happens, they have strength to stand. Even if one world closes, another can be opened by the key of learning.

Therefore, let us act with wisdom. To the young: chase your passions, but do not neglect your studies. To the parents: remind your children, as Tyra’s mother did, that school is the cornerstone upon which all else must rest. To all: remember that appearances fade, fortunes shift, but knowledge is eternal. For the truest form of beauty is a mind enlightened, a spirit grounded, and a soul prepared for every path life may open.

Thus, in the words of Tyra Banks, we are taught: school comes first. Let no flashing light or fleeting promise make us forget this truth. Build your foundation strong, and upon it you may raise any dream, any destiny, and it shall endure.