Sandra Nyanchoka

Known for her dazzling smile and amazing bone structure, the Kenyan born native began her modeling career at age nine upon winning a competition and was featured on Coca Cola billboards around the globe. At age twelve Sandra, her seven siblings, and her parents relocated to the United States. In the United States Sandra attended Thurgood Marshall Middle School then Richard Montgomery High School where she was involved in many activities both in school and out. She especially enjoyed serving as a reporter for the Richard Montgomery Broadcasting Channel. Sandra was a member of Gap Buster Learning Center, an educational program dedicated to promoting higher levels of achievement and closing the performance gap of students by enriching and supplementing their learning experience. She represented the organization at a Youth Leadership conference in the Bahamas. Upon graduation from high school, Sandra began pursuing a modeling career. She was working as a model in New York before being selected and eventually becoming a finalist on America's Next Top Model, Cycle 12. Sandra is an agency represented model with experience doing runway, catalog and commercial print modeling. She has been featured on numerous magazines and in print ads for Cover Girl, as well as billboards in Times Square. Sandra uses her celebrity to promote worthwhile causes whenever she is able. This causes have included HIV/AIDS awareness (with the Gap Buster program), heart health (with American Heart Association), African culture (as host of the 2nd annual "Mother Africa and her Talents" show), and positive self-image (speaking to university students about the importance of inner beauty). In addition to these appearances, and her continued modeling career, Sandra is pursuing a Broadcast Journalism degree at the University of Maryland, which she hopes will enhance her ability to bring important issues to light for an international audience.