When model Nyakim Gatwech was in middle school, she cried herself to sleep thinking she wasn’t beautiful enough. Now, the 26-year-old South Sudanese model has become an icon of beauty and an inspiration to young women everywhere. Her secret? Self-love. “I love who I am. I love my skin tone.”

Nyakim has been nicknamed the “Queen of the Dark” by her fans and has proven her royalty in her fierce photos and motivational captions. With her deeply pigmented skin and fierce determination, the dark skin model is breaking down the barriers of conventional beauty.