The 17-year-old senior arrived in the Grand Blanc High School office to see her family, her photographer who presented her with two dozen red roses.

“I made it?” she said, her hands flying up to cover her flushed face.

She did make it. Out of 545 seniors across the country who submitted their photos to Senior Portrait Artists, she was one of 15 chosen to go to the national SPA convention in San Diego on Jan. 3.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so excited,” she said as David Humphrey, her photographer, explained to her that she’d be taking part in a runway show and would be photographed while in San Diego.

At the convention, the winners work with some of the country’s top photographers and have the chance to be signed by modeling agents.

Kayla is no stranger to the modeling world, even if it’s been a while since she was last a part of it. While in the third grade and living in Florida, she did some modeling for magazines but didn’t pursue it as time went on.

She said she’s “definitely” planning on pursuing it now, and her trip to San Diego will help.

“This is kind of a stepping stone for me,” she said.

It’s a big step. Before being selected from among 545 students across the country, she first had to be selected by her photographer, who runs Masters Photography in Flint Township.

Each year, Humphrey picks a group of students to model for his company, giving them discounts, and some of them opt to participate in the SPA competition.

He doesn’t take just anyone, and he looks for more than just a pretty face.

“The ones that we look for oftentimes are, many of them are involved in NHS (National Honors Society) or leaders on sports teams or class officers, somebody that’s involved that the other kids are going to respect,” he said.

Once selected, Humphrey, along with other photographers from across the country, sends in the students’ senior pictures to SPA’s panel of photographers and modeling agents and waits to hear back.

Kayla remembers talking to Humphrey about entering.

“Dave said he thought I’d be a good candidate for the SPA model competition and we went with that and I guess, I don’t know … I made it,” she said.

Her father, Keith Nelson, said he’s “not surprised,” the panel chose his daughter. Her mother, Jennifer Nelson, said she was just proud.

“I’m so excited for her. I’m so proud of her. She’s always been told since she was very young how beautiful she is and we’ve just focused on how beauty is only skin deep, and she’s more beautiful on the inside than she is on the outside,” Jennifer Nelson said.