By 15, Melania’s beauty caught the eye of photographer Stane Jerko. Though she initially focused on school, she later accepted his offer, beginning a modeling career that led to international runways, magazine covers, and eventually marriage to Donald Trump.

Those who knew her sensed she was destined to leave Sevnica. “It was too small for her,” a childhood friend said. Today, as First Lady, Melania remains rooted in those early values, calling her upbringing “a beautiful childhood.”