In The City

Myles Ellison '10

“You can’t let anything stop you,” declared Myles Ellison ’10 with conviction. “Whatever you feel in your heart that you should be doing, go after it and keep trying, and if you encounter resistance, you have to persevere because you have to hear so many no’s before hearing a yes.”

Since he was 11-years old, Ellison knew that he wanted to be a model and his interest was piqued during the rise of reality TV shows that covered the model and fashion industries. He dedicated himself to get his foot in the door by making it a point to stay on top of the industry’s trends.

“As a model, even though it makes me feel self-centered and conceited at times, I have to post photos of myself frequently to social media,” he commented. “My activity on social media isn’t an instructed requirement, but during casting, the industry looks for a model’s digital footprint. For many of today’s campaigns, a model’s social media followers on Instagram and Facebook are considered when booking talent, making social media and self-marketing a huge part of the industry today.”


The son of a former fashion designer, he kept his dreams close to his heart and made the necessary decisions to get to where he wanted to be including moving to New York City to pursue his dreams.

Being a Vermont native, New York City was immediately different for him.

“Living in Vermont, I always had to have a car and a license and had to drive at least 15 minutes to get anywhere, even if it was just to the store for a can of Coca-Cola. Now, I live in New York City and I can just walk or hop on a subway,” he said. “Everything that you need is within a relatively close distance such as food, clothing, and business services. In comparison to Vermont, the accessibility and travel is just very different.”

While Ellison is enjoying his time as a model, he is also a real estate agent. He truly lives the life of a New Yorker by always being on the go and utilizing his versatility. He accredits his ability to shift gears between his two careers to the liberal arts education that he received from MCLA as an interdisciplinary studies student.

“Some days I will have to go from a casting and then immediately to a showing,” he revealed. “Studying two different things at MCLA in the interdisciplinary program allowed me to switch up the brain a bit more and helped me to develop an open mind. My major acted as a sampling and when paired with the liberal arts education that I received, I learned to quickly identify different options and pathways.”

Ellison was able to take complete advantage of his education when he met his advisor, Graziana Ramsden. In addition to encouraging him to study abroad in Argentina his sophomore year, she also motivated him to do more.

“Not only did she teach me Spanish,” he said, “but she also directed me to resources and opportunities outside of North Adams. Thanks to her help, I was able to get the most out of MCLA.

Ellison believes that MCLA equipped him with the tools that he needed to become open minded and to find success in his multiple careers.

Photo Credit: Kai D. Utility Fall 2014 Look Book 

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