The path to success is paved with thorns. Somehow, when it comes to Instagram influencers, people often forget this adage. Yet, every successful person has their own brand of struggle. Sem Graham embodies this spirit remarkably. Once a homeless young girl struggling to make ends meet, Graham is today a successful Insta model and *whispers* a millionaire!
But there is more to the young girl than her struggle alone. For the sake of her 850 thousand+ fans, we sat down with Sem Graham as she got candid about her life.
Sem: (chuckles) Well, I wouldn’t mind that! Frankly, I am not totally sure about that. It’s not off the table, and if the opportunity ever presents itself, I might not be averse to it. But it is not something I consciously think about a lot. Right now, my primary objectives are focusing on my health and my studies.
Sem: To be honest, I am not the kind of person that makes such long-term plans. Hopefully, I would be having my Ph.D. in the next 10 years. If everything goes well, I also hope to own a few properties. Some might call it vanity, but being homeless has taught me the importance of having a roof on your head.
Sem: DOGS! I cannot explain in words how much I love dogs. Fostering stray and abandoned dogs is just something I am extremely passionate about. I like to take in dogs that are more aggressive or have behavioral issues because other people are often hesitant about adopting such dogs. I like to do something known as “medical fostering”, where you take in dogs that have poor health or a history of some injury/disease in the past. Such dogs require extreme care round the clock. Fostering dogs require hours of work to nourish and train them for months so that they could get adopted by loving families without issues. It’s a tough job, but I really enjoy doing it. Frankly, I think it is one of the most rewarding hobbies one could have.
Sem: Well, yeah. Over the years, but particularly I became famous, I have faced all kinds of harassment. I have also faced some stalkers. But as far as I can tell, every girl in the public eye has faced issues. It is one of the major downsides of being famous and a woman. It’s quite unfortunate that women have to routinely undergo such things, but it is what it is and all we can do is try our best to stay safe.
Sem: Well, not really – except my sister. I absolutely adore and love my little sister. We are extremely close and share everything with each other. Honestly, she is one of the best friends I have in the world.
Sem: Oh, I am a complete movie fanatic! Whenever I am not doing something for social media, I am on my bed or couch, watching movies. I don’t geek out about a lot of things, but films are something that I could discuss for hours long without shutting up.
Picking a single favorite movie is super hard! There are so many amazing movies I have watched that picking one out of them doesn’t seem right (chuckles). But if I have to really pick one from the top of my head, it is going to be “Black Swan”. For those who don’t know – though I am pretty sure everyone knows about it – it is a psychological horror film with Natalie Portman, who was brilliant in it.
Well, again, it is really hard to pick. There are so many good actors, and I loved their performances in one movie of the other. But I am going to go with Morgan Freeman (laughs). Some people might see it as unconventional, but I really love how he just seems perfect for every character he played, ever.
Sem: (chuckles) Damn, that’s another thing very hard to pick from. Honestly, my music taste is all over the place. I love classical music and opera, but I also enjoy screamo and hard rap. I think what kind of music I want to listen to just depends on my mood on the day. Shwayze is one of the artists that comes to my mind, if I had to pick a name. But really, I can get behind any kind of music. Except – and I know it might get me some flak – Taylor Swift (laughs).
Sem: I really can’t wait for things to get back to normal so I can explore more of the world. In the US, I am 110% sure I am going to Hawaii. Its summer, is there any place better to go and get tanned? Internationally, I would love to visit Greece someday. The place is so beautiful with such a rich, historical culture. And again, the idea of roaming on the streets of Athens on a summer afternoon just seems so beautiful!
Born in Florida in 1999, Sem Graham moved to Utah to escape an abusive family and fulfill her dreams. After a period of initial struggle, she finally managed to make it big. Today, she is a successful Instagram model with almost a million followers.