Graża (model)

**Graża Mikocha** (born 22 November 1988), better known mononymously as **Graża**, is a Pesan fashion model. She first came to prominence after competing in *Natalia Model Search 2012* and was signed to Natalia Model Management.

## Life and career

### Early life

Graża was born on 22 November 1988 in Santa Maria, Pesa. Her father, Milo, was a school janitor, while her mother, Dina, was a housekeeper. She has three older sisters, two older brothers, and a younger sister. The family lived in poverty. In 1998, one of Graża's older brothers was murdered.

Graża attended primary school in Santa Maria where she excelled academically and aspired to become a doctor. She graduated from primary school in 2004 as her class's valedictorian, and moved to Kesa in Lashardia to attend a boarding science and mathematics high school, studying biology. She excelled in Lashardia too, graduating from high school a year early in 2006 as the valedictorian.

After her graduation from high school, she stayed in Lashardia and attended Lashardian International University with a major in biology. She graduated from university summa cum laude in 2008, and then enrolled in Queen's University College of Medicine to earn her doctor of medicine degree. While attending school, she modeled part-time, and later dropped out of medical school in 2010 to pursue modeling full-time.

### Modeling career

Graża first started her modeling career in 2009 while she was a medical school student. She soon was signed to a minor Ubenmoor-based agency and in 2010 dropped out of school to work as a full-time model. In a 2014 interview, Graża expressed some regret in dropping out of school, stating, "Sometimes I wish I stayed in school, just to get the degree. It's good to have. Yes modeling became my number-one priority and passion but I think I could've managed both".

In 2012, she left the agency after being cast as a Pesan representative in *Natalia Model Search 2012*. She was consistent throughout the whole competition and largely was considered the favorite to win, but lost in the end to Nena Rush, placing second. However, following the show she was still signed to Natalia Model Management.

After the show, Graża was largely considered one of the most successful alumni. She has walked in several Asmatic fashion weeks for various designers, posed on the cover of dozens of Asmatic fashion magazines, and in 2014 was listed amongst the top ten highest-paid Asmatic models, with an annual income of over $6 million.

## Personal life

Graża resides in the Tenichi district of Ubenmoor, while also owning property in Kesa and Santa Anastasia. After her success as a model, she bought her parents a beachfront home in Santa Anastasia as an anniversary present. Despite being eligible to file for Lashardian citizenship through naturalization, Graża has stated that she's "simply too busy".

Graża has been in a relationship with Pesan-Lashardian actor Pal Stanögorchi since September 2013. In May 2016, it was revealed that they had moved in together. Regarding her religion, she has stated, "I was raised in a Muslim household, and still strongly identify with the culture, but I cannot call myself a dedicated Muslim without lying to myself".