The Cinderella story of Arlenis Sosa, 21, grew even greater when the fledgling supermodel joined Lancôme as a spokesperson. Ms. Sosa, who hails from the Dominican Republic, was discovered in early 2008 and immediately began working with the likes of Steven Meisel and Craig McDean for American Vogue, Italian Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and other top fashion publications.

"I feel so honored and lucky," says Ms. Sosa. "Lancôme is an amazing brand so this is a dream come true."

Ms. Sosa was a student majoring in communications and doing charitable work with her church on behalf of those living with diabetes when a local designer spotted her and sent her photo to a friend at the Marilyn Agency in New York. She flew to the city–her first time out of the Dominican Republic–and the agency signed her on the spot. At 5’11, with sparkling eyes and one of the most beautiful smiles in the industry, Ms. Sosa quickly captivated editors and photographers alike. She made her catwalk debut during New York’s Spring 2009 Fashion Week and appeared on the runways of more than a dozen designers since then, including Oscar de la Renta, Donna Karan, Carolina Herrera, Proenza Schouler, Zac Posen, Narciso Rodriguez, Anna Sui, Tommy Hilfiger, Peter Som and Rag & Bone. Arlenis has also appeared in advertising campaigns for the Gap and David Yurman.

Despite all of this professional success, Arlenis sought to one day help her country. This dream was finally realized in October 2009 with the creation of the Arlenis Sosa Foundation in support of juvenile diabetes. "Ever since I was very little," says Arlenis, "I knew that I had to help."