It’s a wrap on yet another incredible Face of Foothills competition! Get to know the three beautiful winners who came out on top and will proudly represent Arizona Foothills Magazine and AZFoothills.com through the year.
In 2010, AZFoothills.com and Arizona Foothills Magazine named it first-ever Face of Foothills (FOF) winner, Stephanie Mannon. Since then, four more lovely ladies have been crowned FOF, including this year’s winner, Laura Willert. (In 2011, the Future Face of Foothills [FFOF] contest was introduced, giving young aspiring models a chance to shine as well.) In the summer of 2013, casting calls were held and applications were received, with the contestants’ information and pictures made viewable on AZFoothills.com. After rounds of Web voting, the top 10 vote-getters met with AFM’s panel of judges, with the winning faces unveiled during a finale party at W Scottsdale on Nov. 21. As the FOF, Willert not only graces the cover of AFM and the AZFoothills.com’s header and stars in a fashion shoot, but she also received $500 in jewelry from Kendra Scott, a luxury stay at Sanctuary on Camelback and $1,500. Past FOF winners have gone on to walk in runways shows, have parts in movies, star in ad campaigns and more. Could you be next? For details on the 2014 FOF contest, visit AZFoothills.com.
Face of Foothills: Laura Willert, 19
Just last year, Scottsdale’s Laura Willert was named Future Face of Foothills at age 18, giving her a little sneak peek into life as the Face of Foothills. “When I saw Emily [Glynn, 2013 FOF] at the photo shoots absolutely stunning with beautiful clothes, I remember just being in awe. Right from that point, I knew I had to give it a shot.”
"It is such an honor to be chosen to represent the magazine and uphold my position and title. Being the Future Face of Foothills was such a privilege, but being the Face this year, I feel extremely fortunate! I am so incredibly blessed and excited for the year to come."
Being a model has been a life-long dream for this Arizona State University student, who is currently signed with Ford/Robert Black Agency. She even graduated high school early to get a jump start on her career. “When I was a kid I had always wanted to [be a model] but knew it wasn't an option since my mom made it a point to keep us super grounded. She always had a rule that we could never get into the modeling/acting industry until we were 18. However, when I was 16, I was approached by Ford to model. She decided to let me as long as I was smart about it. It was probably the best decision I have ever made. I've loved every second of it.” Regardless of whether she stays in Arizona or travels the world, Willert looks forward to pursuing her passion for modeling as a career.
Future Face of Foothills Teen: Samantha Lewter, 16
Though she might consider herself a typical teenager, Samantha Lewter has a not-so-typical title to uphold as the Future Face of Foothills Teen. (This is the first year the FFOF competition was divided into two categories: Teen and Junior.) With a mind of her own, Lewter shares her thoughts on school, being a teenager and hopes for her future. Upon graduating Desert Vista High School, Lewter plans on moving to Los Angeles in order to pursue her passions for modeling (she is currently with FORD/Robert Black Agency) and acting. She hopes to attend college in L.A. as well. Lewter is a lover of the arts, and most of her time is spent modeling, acting, singing, performing in musical theater—and “eating Taco Bell.” She values creativity and self-expression, making Language Arts her favorite subject in school. This spunky teen is looking to take on the world and divulge herself into charity work which she has grown to enjoy.
"Being the Future Face of Foothills means so much to me. I'm so lucky to have gotten this opportunity, and I'm so looking forward to a fun year!"
In addition to her obvious beauty, Lewter also has incredible insight for her age and her motivation will carry her throughout her young adulthood. Plus, her humbleness makes her win even more apparent. Upon entering the FFOF contest, Lewter says, “I never thought I would win! I had so many people going on the Web site as much as possible and voting their hearts out.”
Future Face of Foothills Junior: Elliana York, 11
Meet Elliana York, or Ellie for short, an aspiring model and actress, dreams which are continually supported by her parents. "My dad was a young model," York says. "He got to work for Calvin Klein and has had some really fun experiences." York decided to take a shot at modeling herself when she heard about AFM's Future Face of Foothills contest and knew she wanted to give modeling a try. "I went to the finale at Scottsdale Fashion Square one year, and I remember seeing the winner and how excited she was. I thought about how I wanted that to be me someday, up there fulfilling my dreams."
"Someday I'd like to be an actress but, right now, my biggest dream is hopefully getting signed with an agency. I love meeting new people, and after winning the Future Face of Foothills contest, I look forward to going to more fun events!"
York is currently studying at Tesseract School in Scottsdale and wants to continue her education after high school. "My favorite subjects right now are English and art because I absolutely love writing and drawing in my spare time." Multi-talented York also plans to toughen up with lessons in Krav Maga ("I like knowing that I can defend myself if I need to," she says with a laugh) and has a soft spot for animals. "Both my mom and I are vegetarians. I really care about animals, and it also helps me to stay healthy. It's how I get more fruits and vegetables in my diet, which make me feel better."
Story by Melissa Larsen, Lindsay Clinkingbeard, and Alexis Mouer
