I feel so proud to be a mom and a Playmate. What a dream come true!

I’ve had a lot of exciting opportunities over the past few years, but being a Playmate is by far the highlight of my career thus far.

People should be able to open up magazines and see models of all shapes, sizes and races. They should be able to see images of women they can relate to.

As a Playmate, I have been given so much creative freedom.

It’s liberating to shoot nude, and I feel powerful embracing my sexuality.

In the studio bathroom, there was always a stack of magazines — Playboy among them.

Being a Playmate is a big deal to me — this is like the pinnacle of my modeling career.

In middle school my classmates would stare at my leg when I passed them in the hallways. I’d wear baggy clothes—not only to hide my leg but to hide my whole body.

Sometimes clients would not hire me. It was a very frustrating experience because I was not a conventional model.

Being a curvy model is not an “alternative.” It’s a natural size, and it’s just as great as any other.

It turns out my mom was right: The moment I set my mind on modeling as my profession there was no convincing me otherwise.

Being in Playboy gives voice to women who have a body like mine, and I’m saying, “Hey girl, your curves are beautiful just as you are.”

I’m Playboy’s first quarterly Playmate! I can’t believe it.