Interview with Model Katie Quintana on Miss Bikini, Small-town Life, and Motherhood
By Juliet Reynolds
Beginning dance at five years old, teaching dance, becoming a mother, and now modeling all over the country, Katie Quintana really has one heck of a C.V. I had the immense pleasure of sitting down with her to flip through every fascinating page of her book, taking a peek into Miss Bikini, motherhood, small-town life, and more. If you need a reason to chase your dreams today, call your search to an end. Katie Quintana—model, dancer, mother, daughter, teacher, visionary—is here to let you know that in the face of right or left, “I go zig-zag.”
Photo by Harlan Cone
Katie began with competitive dance from a young age, always supported by her loving mom. Competitions all weekend, practices all week, nothing was too intense for Katie and her mom, who took her to every single event. “She’s my ride or die”, Katie said lovingly about her mother. “She was the reason I took dance. She always told me: ‘It’s gonna be worth it one day.’ She was the mom where if people made fun of me, she’d say: ‘They’re just jealous, keep doing what you’re doing.’” As Katie grew older, she moved to Casa Grande, joining local studios and competing at higher levels both in and out of school. In tandem with her own competitions, teaching dance came naturally to Katie, as she developed the love for what is still the backbone of her work life today. However, the first major pivot in Katie’s career came in the face of an audition with the esteemed Radio City Rockettes—one of the oldest dance companies in American history. Learning that she was pregnant right before auditions, Katie took a graceful sidestep to motherhood, uncovering another immense source of her artistic inspiration: her sons.
Katie confided in me that when she had her first son, everything changed. Beaming while gushing about her kids, Katie told me that everything happens for a reason. “Sometimes you can’t know something until you go through it.” Reliving her childhood through her kids, remembering every beautiful moment with her own mom, Katie discussed showing up for her children, saying: “If you want to be a good parent, you have to show up for yourself first. I’m not going to give up on what I love and my dreams, what would that tell my kids? I want to prove to them that as an adult, you can keep the same goals and dreams you had as a kid. Go do what makes you happy!” While Katie’s journey did not take her to the Rockettes, through motherhood and perseverance, it took her to new heights: modeling.
Photo by EJ Mañón
In 2020, Katie traveled to Las Vegas for a vacation that would unknowingly become the start of her modeling career. After a large marketing agency shared one of Katie’s Vegas posts online, she started getting paid gigs in Las Vegas. Katie capitalized on this new resource for leads in other modeling sectors, landing herself at local Arizona gigs. As her community grew, doing both paid work and TFP (time for photos), Katie found herself on the stages of Phoenix Fashion Week, Phoenix Swim Week, LA Fashion Week, and now the dazzling Miss Bikini stage in Miami, Florida—an installation of the Miami Swim Week, considered the largest swimwear festival in the world. Katie is gearing up to compete in her third Miss Bikini competition, and after garnering the “Miss Photogenic” award one year and placing in the top five last year, she’s really going for gold. 2025 will be the Miss Bikini ten year anniversary held bigger and better than ever in Las Vegas—an event no one will want to miss. Not only is the competition globally recognized, but with the addition of Miss Bikini Backstage, a television show covering the action, Katie can call herself a reality star, too. Look for both seasons 1 and 2 on Tubi and Amazon Prime, with season 3 to come!
Photo by Mike Chaiken
Reflecting on the model life, Katie had some anecdotes to share about the hardships that come with chasing your dreams from a small town. She opened up about being fired from her teaching position at a high school, being hounded by narrow-minded community members all against her modeling career. In the face of what could be called her first haters, Katie had encouraging words to share: “I’m not going to lie to you, I’m proud of what I do. I’d be so proud of one of my students if they got invited to a photoshoot, if they had the opportunity for an in-front-of-the-camera gig.” Ever positive, Katie continues to keep her students in mind, and noted that the intersection of her creative careers actually increases her connection to her classes, “My modeling experience enhances my work with grace and presence, while pageantry adds confidence, and teaching allows me to share my passion with others through movement and creativity.” Ultimately, when one door closes, another one always opens. Katie now continues to teach dance (and newly, drama!) at a middle school that accepts her modeling career with open arms. And calling back to Katie’s mom’s cherry-on-top wisdom: “‘They’re just jealous, keep doing what you’re doing!”
If there is one thing Katie is definitely going to do, it is keep doing what she’s doing. From dancing, to teaching, to modeling, Katie is going to keep on her dream path and looks forward to branching out even further. While we’re all jumping in our seats for Miss Bikini 2025, Katie told me she definitely wants to return to fashion outside of swimwear, and explore studios rather than runways, “I feel energized when I collaborate with photographers to create art, especially in studio shoots where the controlled environment lets me fully immerse in the creative process.” And, with her recent exploration into teaching middle school drama, Katie’s eyes are peeled for acting gigs!
Katie Quintana’s creative journey into modeling is one that we can all take invaluable inspiration and energy from. It paints a striking picture of an artist who loves and is loved, and who unabashedly chases her dreams no matter the obstacle. As a parting piece of advice, Katie wanted to make absolutely sure that every reader would walk away with these words from Dr. Seuss that cap off the secret heart to her success: “You have to be odd to be number one!”
Edited by KBR on December 19, 2024
