What I Love About Me: Pretty Patriotic

Jennifer Kalanges, 24
Burlington, VT

"Living in a small, Northeastern town, I have always stood out because of my Greek and Irish features."

Alix McVay, 25
Santa Fe, NM

"I love that I'm comfortable enough with myself to not always care how I look."

Shelah Marie, 25
Miami, FL

"I shaved off my chemically straightened hair when I was teaching on an army base because I wanted my natural texture back."

Cara Rosenthal, 28
Louisville, KY

"I try to emulate my mother. She's a lawyer and a professor and can leave the house with wet hair and still stop traffic."

Kristie Henslin, 25
Madison, WI

"Perseverance. I suffer from hearing loss and am working on my doctorate in audiology so I can help others."

Jen Craymer, 26
San Diego, CA

"I'm proud to come from a long line of strong women — my grandmother had a pilot's license — and follow in their footsteps."

Tia Newton, 26
New York, NY

"I take my cues from women with timeless style and poise, like Michelle Obama."

Leah Samaha, 22
Princeton, NJ

"Being Lebanese and Scotch-Irish, I love that my olive skin tone allows me to wear less makeup."

JoAnna Jackson, 30
Chicago, IL

"I have the freedom to look how I want, when I want. I can go from being an ER doctor in scrubs to a girl on the dance floor in a bright dress."