After a year of grieving the loss of her husband Kobe Bryant, Vanessa Bryant has had much to celebrate this past month.
Earlier this week, IMG Models announced that her eldest daughter Natalia Bryant had signed on as the newest addition to its beauty and fashion roster. Now the proud mom has also revealed that her 18-year-old isn’t just beautiful but has also been accepted into the University of Oregon.
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This is just the latest school that has sent an acceptance letter to the teen. In January, Bryant shared a photo of Natalia smiling while proudly wearing a New York University shirt, revealing that the school was among her daughter’s top choices.
“@nataliabryant chose not to apply ED to her top 5 schools,” she wrote at the time. “I will do my best to keep her in Cali just like I kept her daddy here. #CaliGirlForever“
Later that same day, she also shared a photo of her daughter in a University of Southern California crewneck, with the caption “#Cali4Ever.”
While the family has yet to reveal which school she will ultimately end up at, following the news of her new modeling contract on Monday, she shared her thoughts on this exciting new chapter in her life.
“I have always been interested in fashion since a very young age,” Natalia said in a statement. “I have a love for the industry and ever since I can remember I wanted to model. There is a lot to learn but I feel this is a great opportunity for me to learn and express myself creatively.”
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She also celebrated in an Instagram Story post, writing, “I am beyond thrilled and so honored to be a part of the IMG family!”
In the midst of all this great news, on January 19th, Bryant commemorated her daughter’s 18th birthday with a bittersweet message on behalf of both her and her late husband, who tragically passed away last year in a helicopter crash along with their 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven other passengers.
“Dear Natalia, Happy Birthday! Mommy and Daddy are so proud of the young lady that you are,” she wrote in a caption that accompanied a picture of Natalia as a baby with her parents. “You have displayed so much strength and grace throughout the most difficult year of our lives. Thank you for stepping in to help me with your little sisters.”
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