Mommy, Am I Pretty?
My Story
Community activist, HIV/AIDS advocate, counselor, social worker, model, author, PA president, board member, mother, wife—Alina Patton is living proof that women can have well-rounded and fulfilling lives in a world that tells them they need to live according to a set script for success. Her secret is a practical positivity focused on making the best of the present while believing in the future and conquering her insecurities in a visible way, inspiring others along the way.
Alina’s story began in Northeast Washington, DC, where she graduated from Mckinley Tech High School. Excelling in school, Alina went on to receive her B.S degree in Political Science from the University of the District of Columbia; that led to a job with the US Department of Justice and then DC Care Consortium, where she put her passion of helping others with PLWHA (People Living with HIV/AIDS) and their families and help collaborate with service providers and housing.
All the time she was focusing on the welfare of others, friends consistently told Alina she should look into a totally different world of professional modeling. After hearing that enough times to consider it a real possibility, Alina moved to New York, went to an open-call casting session and was picked up by a small modeling agency and was eventually led her to be asked to join Wilhelmina Models.
Alina went on to model for several designers including AEFFE (the home of labels such as, Jean Paul Gaultier, Alberta Ferretti, Moschino and Philosophy), Fendi, Donna Karen, Ann Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, etc. She travelled to Paris to broaden her modeling experience; upon her return to the US, Alina appeared in campaigns for African Pride, Clairol, Master Card, Prudential.
Her desire for personal improvement and new adventures led to Alina’s return to school in 2008 and an eventual Masters in Social Work from Fordham University. Soon after earning her degree, she began working in the women’s health division of New York City’s Beth Israel Hospital.
Along the way, Alina also got married. After she and her husband welcomed their first child, motherhood taught Alina the incredible importance of self-esteem in a child’s life—especially when that child is a girl. Her experiences as a mother and Social Work led to co-authoring the book, Mommy, Am I Pretty?— written with the goal of helping children accept and love themselves.
While she remains an active social worker helping women cope with life’s trials, the world of entertainment and cameras continues inviting Alina to participate. She is still modeling with Ramona Models and talent and is in the process of opening her own private practice to help women adolescence and children with trauma, grief and loss.
Is Alina an overachiever? No, because that tends to be something of a negative word. Alina is a consistent achiever who accomplishes much while maintaining a healthy balance in her family’s life. She is every woman—striving to become the greatest version of herself she can. Catch Alina on her new podcast "The Last Two Percent" wherever you get your podcasts.
