WHERE PASSION MEETS PURPOSE

Michelle Kasco has never been one to believe that people are meant to belong solely to a single definition.

 

Belonging is often described as finding the place where you fit, but Kasco’s story suggests something entirely different. Sometimes belonging means refusing to choose between the parts of yourself that others assume could never coexist. As a fashion model, a shellfish hatchery manager and the founder of the organization, Glorious Guppies, an organization dedicated to inspiring youth to care for the natural world, Kasco has built a life that makes room for creativity, conservation and curiosity alike-never allowing one passion to overshadow another.

 

To some, the fashion industry and environmental conservation may seem worlds apart. Kasco, however, has never viewed them as competing identities. Fashion became a way to express who she was long before she ever stepped foot in front of a camera, while her fascination with wildlife and aquatic life developed into a career dedicated to restoration and education. Instead of asking herself which path she belonged to, she created space for both to come together, proving that neither passion had to come at the expense of the other.

 

“I realized that we should never give up what we love,” Kasco says. “As a kid, it didn’t seem possible that when I was older I could find a career that allowed me to love and care for critters and make money, but sure enough life presented a chance and I took it.”

 

Kasco’s path has never been shaped by a single defining moment, but by a series of experiences that gradually reinforced the importance of remaining true to herself. Looking back, she credits those moments rather than a single breakthrough, with giving her the confidence to pursue her passions.

 

“There wasn’t a single defining moment,” she says, “It was really a combination of multiple.”

 

Fashion became one of the places where Kasco first found that confidence. Rather than viewing clothing as something meant to follow trends, Kasco saw it as an extension of identity and a way to communicate who she was long before she ever stepped foot in front of a camera.

 

“The world pushes fashion standards and trends, but I never listened,” Kasco says. “Fashion was a way to express myself and show that I will not give up myself for standards and trends.”

 

That perspective continues to shape her work today-drawn to high fashion and editorial photography, Kasco is less interested in simply wearing clothing than in the stories they can help to tell. 

 

“I’ve always loved how fashion has been a form of self-expression for thousands of years. Every pose is a form of artistic expression and when combined with fashion, they tell stories together.”

 

Beyond traditional fashion editorials, Kasco often incorporates animals into her work, posing alongside creatures many may otherwise fear, including snakes, lizards and opposums.

 

“I’ll find a pose for anything,” she says. “It’s a really fun way to show people to not be afraid and that the animals are a lot friendlier than we give them credit for.”

 

Through combining the artistry of fashion with her dedication to conservation, Kasco has created a life that reflects every part of who she is. What may first appear to be an unexpected combination is in reality, a reflection of the same curiosity that has guided all of her work. Whether she is standing in front of a camera, caring for aquatic life or inspiring others to appreciate the natural world, Kasco continues to prove that belonging does not always mean finding one place to fit into-sometimes it means creating a space where every part of yourself can exist together.