Melania Trump left her home country of Slovenia as a teenager, pursuing a modeling career in the United States and becoming one of the top models in New York.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her modeling career was put on hold when she met Donald Trump, and when their son Barron was born, she devoted her energy to raising her son. Melania has always kept her Slovenian heritage close. When Barron was young, he even spoke with a Slovenian accent, and her parents left their home country to be closer to their daughter and grandchild.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sadly, last year, Melania lost her mother, but her father continues to lend support. posterposter Although Melania has lived in the US for decades, she takes care to keep her heritage \u2014 and native language \u2014 alive. When she and Donald visited victims of the devastating LA wildfires, the First Lady was heard comforting a woman in her native language. Now, she\u2019s being praised online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Melania Trump\u2019s journey to becoming First Lady of the United States for the second time is really quite astonishing. Born Melania Knauss on April 26, 1970, in Novo Mesto, Slovenia, she grew up in the small railway town of Sevnica.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her father, Viktor, was a car mechanic and chauffeur, and her mother, Amalija, worked as a pattern-maker at a clothing factory. Amalija had a great passion for design and reportedly spent untold hours making clothes for Melania and her older sister, Ines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI grew up with a beautiful family and had a wonderful childhood,\u201d Melania has previously said. \u201cMy mother and father taught us the importance of education, hard work and family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Melania grew up in a modest home, but her parents were a big deal in the small town of Sevnica. She studied at a special high school for industrial design and photography, but at 16, her life would change\u2026 and purely down to coincidence. While leaving a fashion show at the Festival Hall, fashion photographer Stane Jerko noticed Melania leaning on a fence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 1987, photographers didn\u2019t really have the opportunity to find new faces for their work through the Internet. Instead, they sometimes chanced upon someone in real life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBy the staircase at the entrance, I saw this girl,\u2019 Jerko recalled. \u201cShe was tall, slim, with long hair. I told her who I was, what I did, and why I would photograph her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At that point, Melania wanted to study to become an architect. But this was a big opportunity. Jerko, meanwhile, thought the girl had something special.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe was shy and reserved at first,\u201d he explained. \u201cNot wanting to open herself up.\u201d But she quickly got into it and asked, \u2018Why are you constantly moving the light? Is this how I should be holding myself?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Melania attended the university in Ljubljana before pursuing her dream job as a model. In 1996, she left for New York City. There, she lived in a shared apartment at Gramercy Park, but given that she was 26 years old \u2013 much older than the average aspiring model at the time \u2013 it was a gamble that she\u2019d put everything on the line for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Two years later \u2013 after her modeling career had taken off \u2013 she met Donald Trump, and her life once again changed forever. When Donald became the President of the United States \u2013 and Melania First Lady \u2013 Amalija and Viktor were seen several times at the White House, including during their daughter\u2019s RNC speech in the White House Rose Garden. In her speech, Melania thanked her parents for their sacrifice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy parents worked very hard to ensure our family could not only live and prosper in America but also contribute to a nation that allows for people to arrive with a dream and make it a reality,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI want to take the moment to thank my mother and father for all that they have done for our family. It is because of you that I am standing here today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, Viktor and Amalija had the pleasure of becoming grandparents. According to Politico, Donald and Melania\u2019s son, Barron Trump, spent a significant amount of time with his grandma and grandpa growing up, and as a result he speaks Slovenian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n