The Skills Nina Cash Brought From Her Career in Education to Her SI Swimsuit Photoshoot

The retiree’s occupation has impacted the way that she approaches her newfound modeling pursuit.

Nina Cash.John Parra/Getty Images

At 57 years old, Nina Cash is one year retired from a successful career in education, most recently as an associate dean at Cal State Long Beach. While there are some obvious differences between the world of education and modeling, the 2023 Swim Search co-winner has found that many of the things she learned throughout her career in higher ed apply in the modeling world. 

On the set of her 2024 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit photo shoot in Porto and the North, Portugal, she reflected on some of the lessons that she has carried over into her “encore” modeling career and, particularly, to her rookie magazine feature.

Professionalism and timeliness

Cash has been seamless at incorporating the precision and discipline honed during her years in academia into the unpredictable world of modeling.

“If my call time is 6 [o’clock], I’m there at 5. Six o’clock is late. Even 5:45 is late. So being on time [is important].”

Over-preparation

For Cash, being overprepared is of the utmost importance, whether in her former role as an associate dean or her current modeling pursuits.

“I [am] overprepared when it comes to items in my modeling kits,” she explains. “When you’re in a work environment, you have to be prepared and have plan A, B, C, D, E, F, G, in case anything goes wrong.”

An easygoing mentality

It’s clear from her demeanor while on set that the California native has a very calming presence. She attributes what she calls her ability “to be very nimble” to working with students and managing different personalities for so long.

“Nothing ruffles my feathers. I have a master’s in negotiation, conflict resolution and peace-building, so I’m always trying to see the other person’s perspective or life lens,” she says. “When I’m on set, when things are happening that are very stressful, I can understand that. And I try to calm things down.”

Cash certainly brought all of those skills and attributes—and more—to the set of her rookie photo shoot.

Make sure to follow SI Swimsuit on YouTube!