Spotlights
April Bigham Defying The Odds
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pril Bigham faced adversity at an early age. Born in Champaign, Illinois, and as a ward of the state, she spent most of her childhood in and out of foster homes. She became a parent for the first time at age 17. Needing to provide for her family; she began what would end up being a twenty plus year career in the home health care profession. While raising a family and immersing herself in her career, she soon realized she was losing herself while taking care of everyone else. In addition, she began to experience some significant health issues. Bigham relocated to Jackson, Mississippi, in 2011, believing being close to her family would be just what she needed.
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After raising a family of four children, three boys, and one girl, and spending over 20 years in the health care profession, she made a life-changing decision to pursue her childhood dream of becoming a fashion model. With the support and encouragement of family and friends, she submitted photos for an online model competition, the Curvy Idol. April remained determined to become successful even though she did not place in that first competition. While taking time to learn from her experience and work on her craft, a second opportunity to take part in the Curvy Idol came about and this time, the results were much different as she
WOMAN TO WOMAN WITH JOANNE : THE MAGAZINE • Issue 24, May/June 2019
ended up being the first runner up. Her confidence soared and she continued to build on her newfound success. Bigham’s journey in the fashion industry has not been a traditional one by any means. She has defied the odds by pursuing a passion that had been inside her since she was a teenager. She refuses to let traditional standards of beauty box her in, as her mission is to push the envelope of what society says it means to be beautiful. April aspires to use fashion modeling as a platform to promote a healthy positive self-image and self-esteem
