Dre’Shawn Pace, an FAU senior majoring in biology, is preparing for a future in medicine. However, he’s also making strides on the runway.

Modeling isn’t a new venture for Pace. His parents encouraged him to start,  taking him to auditions and photoshoots at the age of 10. 

“Modeling has always been something that I wanted to do, even as a kid,” said Pace. “It happened more so as an adult because I finally have the opportunity to take myself to different shoots and castings.” 

Pace, 21, plans on graduating in the spring with a bachelor’s degree in biology. Post-graduation, he plans on attending medical school and becoming an anesthesiologist. As for his up-and-coming career as a model, he is currently planning to participate in New York Fashion Week and work with various photographers for photoshoots.

Starting at such a young age quickly launched his career in front of the camera.

“Being able to see what my parents did for me when I was younger has given me the courage to keep going now, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to do that,” he said.

Pace also shared how his bi-racial identity has influenced his entrance into the modeling industry, noting that people have continuously tried putting different labels on him.

“People don’t always understand that I am mixed race and they want to try to put me into a category,” he said.  “But I always just tell people that I am Black and white, and I will never be categorized as just being white or just being Black… I’m both.” 

Within his first year joining the modeling industry, Pace has already had the opportunity to participate in Miami Swim Week, an event held in July of each year that is meant to showcase swimwear just in time for the summer. 

“Miami Swim Week made me realize that I love to be doing something 100% of my time,” said Pace. “It was honestly such an adrenaline rush just to be able to go out there and walk, to just feel good in front of the camera.”

Aside from modeling, Pace also works as a medical assistant at Rofé Medical, a family medicine practice in Boca Raton, as a part of Dr. Sasson Moulavi’s team.

Pace reveals that he started working at Rofé Medical as an intern for one of his classes.

“I went in there with my resume and his office manager was like, ‘Can you start tomorrow?’ I thought to myself, ‘No I can’t start tomorrow,’ but I made sure I did start tomorrow,” Pace said. “I didn’t even have a pair of scrubs, so I had to buy a pair of scrubs really fast and started the next morning.”

Moulavi said his office is impressed by Pace’s work ethic and ability to genuinely connect with clients. 

“Dre is very hardworking and kind… he is also very eager to learn; he always wants to learn how to do things in order to increase his inventory of knowledge in medicine — I wish we had more people like him,” Moulavi said. 

Pace described Moulavi as one of his greatest role models.

“I love the way Dr. Moulavi treats his patients and just the way he is able to do so many different things at once, such as his practice and the various other companies that he owns. Being able to work for a doctor who is in business and real estate as well, is truly awesome,” he said.

At Rofé Medical, Pace works alongside his best friend of many years, FAU health science senior Nashmia Chughtai. Similar to Pace, Chughtai is exploring her own artistic avenues. 

She has a passion for painting, which led her to apply for a spot at the Lake Worth Annual Street Painting Festival, opening in February 2025.

Chughtai says Pace was the one who pushed through her self-doubts and encouraged her to participate in the festival.

“There was a time when I thought to myself, ‘I don’t have time for a street festival, I don’t know how I’m going to do this,’ and he just told me, ‘It’s going to be okay, you got this,’ and he was there for me through it all,” she said. “He even brought me water and a charger while I was in the sun for eight hours.” 

In addition to modeling and medicine, Pace also works as a realtor in South Florida.

“Many teachers always told me to study business, and I always thought, ‘Why would I study business when I can just do business when I turn 18?’ So, as a kid I had always wanted to be a real estate agent,” said Pace.

Pace began working in Property Management, selling apartments during his freshman year of college. He currently works as an agent for Keller Williams Wellington Realty, where he has since sold homes and apartments around the Wellington area.

Pace initially worked as a leasing advisor for Crown Residential, a property management company based in Plantation, where he met Bree Fortson, a close friend of his who is now the property director.

“He has such amazing energy and he can put a smile on anyone’s face, even if they’re down… That was the first thing I realized about him, that a lot of people would just flock to him because of his personality,” she said. 

So far, he has sold two homes and had many successful rentals. Pace indicates that his favorite part of being a real estate agent is getting to know the people. In particular, he connected with one couple to whom he sold a home.

“Being able to close the sale with them and then feel so happy that we made it through the entire process… They referred me to a lot of their friends too, which was great,” he said. 

Fortson expressed the importance of being genuinely caring in the real estate profession.

“You can’t just teach people how to be personable and charismatic, and Dre’Shawn cares about every single person who walks through the door. He doesn’t judge a book by its cover, he takes everyone in with open arms,” she said. “Not many people in real estate have the quality to connect with people like that and he does.”

Max Cedeno, a senior majoring in political science at Florida State University, has been Pace’s best friend since middle school. He revealed that Pace’s hardworking attitude is something that has defined him since they were kids. 

“Dre has always been an extremely charismatic and outgoing person, and he has always had a desire to work,” he said. 

Embarking on various journeys at once can be overwhelming. Pace emphasizes how important it is to have his best friends by his side.

“It’s been surreal, but also so great to be able to have friends who have been with me through my journey… Although we may get busy, especially now, we still keep that same friendship and support each other through everything we are doing,” he said. 

Pace believes his drive and dreams of being a real estate agent from a young age are what help him keep himself organized.  Skillfully managing his many ventures is his vision for it all.

“Making sure that I achieve the goals I want to achieve, being so young, keeps me driven — and I can say that sometimes I don’t get as much sleep as the normal human being, but the opportunity of making sure things get done makes me happy,” he said.

Gabriela Quintero is a Staff Writer for the University Press. For more information regarding this story or others, contact her at gquintero2022@fau.edu