FIELDON - One Fieldon woman is hoping to make her big modeling break through Maxim Magazine's 2017 Maxim's Finest competition.

Get The Latest News!

Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.

Tiffanie Shea Haug, 22, is currently in fourth place in Midwest Group Four. She is asking all of her friends and family members to vote for her in this phase of the competition. She said the competition has nine phases, and girls are eliminated during each changing phase. Fans of Haug can vote more than once overall, but only vote once per day per IP address. The ultimate winner of the contest will have a two-page spread in Maxim and a cash prize of $25,000.

"It popped up while I was browsing the web and it immediately grabbed my attention," she said via Facebook Messenger. "I have been modeling here and there since I was about 12. I've always enjoyed it, and being able to express myself behind the lens. It definitely is a passion of mine, and having the chance of possibly being Maxim's Finest 2017 would be more than words could describe. It would be just the beginning of an amazing journey."

Haug originally hails from Seattle, Washington, and moved to San Antonio, Texas until she was five. Her family then moved to Atlanta, Georgia, for the next nine years, which is where Haug discovered her love of modeling.

Article continues after sponsor message

"I was taking acting classes and voice lessons for about 11 years, and I was then signed with Elite Modeling Management out of Atlanta through my talent agency, until I moved here to Illinois in 2010," she said. "Performance and being in front of the camera was almost a day-to-day thing for me. Modeling has made me more confident in my skin. I become at peace and just let loose whenever I'm in front of the camera. It gives you the chance to bring out that inner personality that you keep locked inside to bring your pictures to life. I would love to go as far as I can with modeling."

Being a cover or print model would be acceptable to Haug. She said she stands 5'10'' and has more of a sporty figure, which would not fit the mold of traditional models, but Haug said that mold is being broken over time. She said she loves that today's world of modeling, because it is beginning to embrace all shapes and sizes.

While she lived away from the area, she visited because of her father, who grew up in Calhoun County. When he received a job offer in St. Louis, he offered to move the family north, and they accepted. Haug was 15 when she first moved to the state. Haug described her father as her largest inspiration.

"The ones who inspire me are people like my father," she said. "He's been there for me through acting, modeling, signing, sports, etc. My parents divorced when I was about 11, and I began living with my father. Our family was still one, and we all love each other, but things obviously had changed a bit. My dad always puts his kids first. He has taught me to never give up, to keep working hard, to live and breathe with passion, to treat others kindly and to just laugh. Life's too short. He's one guy that is hard to beat. There is no one with a heart as big, a mind so wise or a hug more powerful."

This contest is the first major modeling contest Haug has entered, but she has done quite a few contests using her performance and voice skills over the last 12-15 years. Recently, Haug said she has placed modeling "on the front of the line" to see where things can take her.

Voting for the contest can be done here.

More like this:

Mar 31, 2024 - Easter Profile: 2024 Women of Distinction: Marlene Lewis Says Helping is "Really Rewarding"

6 days ago - 2024 Women of Distinction: Jeanne Wuellner "Can't Help" Helping Local Kids

Feb 7, 2024 - Alyssa Ragsdale Works Hard and "Loves Big"

Mar 19, 2024 - Community Staple: King Air Conditioning & Heating Celebrates 50 Years in Family Business

Mar 12, 2024 - Rebekah Von Plinsky Is Art Fahrner-Edward Jones Alton High School Remarkable Redbird Of The Month