Model Dasha Alexandria Doronin Hopes Others Learn From Her Journey

Dasha Alexandria Doronin is living proof that everything happens for a reason.

Born in Ukraine, the model moved with her family to the San Francisco Bay Area at the age of 2. As a child, her mother began taking her to some casting calls thanks to her height advantage. However, Doronin remembers being disappointed when she fell just a couple centimeters short while pursuing an opportunity with the Gap.

“I was heartbroken that they didn’t pick me,” she recalls.

Doronin would spend years doubting herself and thinking about all the other people who shared the same modeling passion. She went on to have what she describes as a normal childhood, but that early experience never left her.

“In the back of my mind that was always back there,” she confesses.

Doronin finally summoned the urge to pursue modeling as a career, but it wouldn’t happen until she was out of high school and living in the real world in her early 20s.

“I had an office job and I was sitting there thinking, ‘I don’t love this. I’m not happy,’” she recalls.

Doronin began taking photos and building her portfolio, realizing it was now or never if she finally wanted to pursue her dream. She eventually took the plunge and moved to Los Angeles, where “everything just kind of took off.” Six years ago, she landed her dream job when Monster Energy hired her for their music department.

“I’ve always had a passion for music,” she admits. “It was the best of both worlds. I was just thrilled.”

That passion for music also started at an early age, although not exactly to her liking. Doronin recalls her parents filling their home with the sounds of Beethoven and everything classical, but the rebel in her stumbled upon a Bon Jovi tape one day and the rest as they say was history.

She says, laughing: “My parents were like – whose kid is this?!”

Doronin loves the guitar and anything heavy. “It gets me in a good mood,” she says of her love for music.

Her career has since afforded her the opportunity to work alongside the likes of Korn and Blink-182, bands that make her feel like a “14-year-old” all over again.

“I’ve been so lucky and blessed to have this opportunity,” says Doronin, who also counts her time at the X Games in Aspen as one her favorite experiences to date.

Unfortunately, live music has been among the hardest hit by the ongoing pandemic. After constantly being on the go the last few years, Doronin has suddenly found herself stuck at home much like the rest of society.

“At first it was definitely a shock,” she says. “At first there was denial. Everything’s going to be fine. Don’t trip. The festivals will resume. But then all of them were cancelled for the year and it was a bummer.”

Doronin has been keeping a positive attitude and taking advantage of not having a busy travel schedule for once. In addition to setting up a home gym and getting outdoors to stay in shape, she is also revisiting her cooking skills once again.

“It’s good to keep thinking positively and making good use of the time,” she explains. “It’s been nice to do normal stuff which you can’t do when you’re out and about traveling all the time.”

Her work schedule has started to pick up of late thanks to her agency. She recently wrapped up a makeup shoot and has more projects in the works.

“I’m thankful that I have that too,” she says. “Things are starting to resume so I’m happy about that.”

While the pandemic has slowed the career that she’s been wishing for ever since that moment as a child, Doronin does not have any regrets and believes that “everything happens for a reason.”

“It’s so clique because people always tell you, ‘Well just go for it and things will fall into place,’” she explains. “But it’s so true.”

She’s also hopeful that others can learn from her story.

“You just have to go for it,” she says. “Don’t self-doubt and don’t compare yourself to other people. You want to be different.”

Be sure to follow Dasha on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/dashaalexandria/