6 Incredible Photos of Former Miss World USA Clarissa Bowers

The open casting call alumna was photographed in Turks and Caicos in 2020.

Ananya Panchal | Oct 3, 2023

Clarissa Bowers was photographed by Yu Tsai in Turks and Caicos.

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Vanderbilt alumna Clarissa Bowers made her SI Swimsuit debut as a Swim Search top six finalist in 2020. The Umatilla, Fla., native, who was a pre-med major with a focus in neuroscience, was photographed by Yu Tsai in Turks and Caicos for her magazine feature.

The former Miss World USA attended the brand’s open casting call in Miami and was amazed at how many friendly and inspiring women she met.

“The SI team takes the time to genuinely get to know the brilliant minds and kind souls behind all of the beautiful faces. SI unifies and attracts women of all shapes, sizes, ages, careers and cultures from all corners of the world,” the 25-year-old said at the time. “The open casting call draws in an incredibly well-rounded group of women, all seeking to empower and support one another. I found myself mesmerized by all of the stories I heard while waiting and by the end of the casting process, I had formed friendships with women from all over the country and even the world.”

As someone who grew up with three older brothers and was a total tomboy as a child, Bowers never expected to pursue a career as a model. She was first discovered at the age of 13 and completed a few small-scale gigs before realizing the harsh reality of certain size and weight stigmas in the modeling industry. Bowers instead decided to focus on her education and fulfill her academic goals.

“From an early age, I had a deep desire to help improve the lives of others, and I felt that medicine was the best way for me to accomplish that,” she recalled. “The brain is like a new frontier, as vast and full of the unknown as space. I have always been fascinated with the human mind and understanding why people do what they do on a neurobiological basis.”

Below are six of our favorite photos from her 2020 SI Swimsuit photoshoot.

Clarissa Bowers — Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

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Published Oct 3, 2023

ANANYA PANCHAL

Ananya Panchal is a writer on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit. Before joining SI Swimsuit in 2022, she worked at Bustle, the San Francisco Chronicle and the TODAY Show. When she is not writing or doom-scrolling on social media, Panchal can be found playing sudoku, rewatching One Tree Hill or trying new restaurants. She's also a coffee and chocolate (separately) enthusiast. Panchal has a bachelor’s in communications and journalism from Boston University.