A person in the marines can be whoever they want to be, even if it involves some rugged and challenging training that might include a sensitive and worldly side. Shannon Ihrke is one marine who has experienced some of the most challenging and sophisticated sides. She has been labeled as being a marine who is the most popular in the world because she is currently working as a model.

Despite the stringent of being a Marine Corp, modeling also demanded much from Shannon. She posed in the modeling portrait as a marine named the “World’s Best Looking Marine.” Because of this, her job in modeling became more authentic. Her pose appeared realistic because it founded the aura that it needed, and it seemed believable. In 2019, she featured on the Thomas Prusso Military Glamour calendar as a desert photoshoot model. With a successful career, modeling still posed some difficult moments for Shannon than her marine work, mostly because she had to work twice as hard to succeed in her newfound career.

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3 years ago today I received my bachelors of Science degree from Elmhurst College (which is now Elmhurst University). This bachelors degree took 10 years for me to accomplish! After high school, I went to college for 1 1/2 years at St.Cloud State University and then did a 180 and joined the Marine Corps, where I served on active duty for 4 years. I took some online classes while in, and after getting out I moved to Chicago to model and landed a spokesmodeling job for 97.9 The Loop (Chicago’s Classic Rock radio station). A beautiful suburb outside Chicago was where I decided to finish up my degree. So while working and living downtown I would take the metro bus 3 days a week to go to classes in Elmhurst. I finally finished up my degree after moving back to Minnesota while also attended the Minnesota Horse Training Academy. Looking back, it was a lot of craziness but I’m so glad I did it and thanks to the Marine Corps and the GI Bill I have zero college debt because of it! Now this degree sits on my desk at home and reminds me that some of the best achievements take time, dedication, patience, and persistence.

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Shannon had faced a little voice in her modeling involvement compared to when she was in the marines because she could express her point back then. Modeling involves being told what to do, and it’s always the final say. As a marine, Shannon had the option of arguing validly to present her side. After leaving the military, only a few people would know what they want to do, but Shannon had already planned well for her current life. Many people do not get the opportunity of becoming models despite having that desire. The transition process for Shannon to becoming a model took a reality check for her because she had been accustomed to living the marine life. It was not as easy as she imagined living as a civilian. Some of the marines would challenge Shannon becoming the “World’s Best Looking Marine.”


Temper is one of the things that was difficult that Shannon had to learn to control when she became a model. When she was a marine, she and her buddies would yell at each other, and later everything would turn out fine. Becoming a civilian meant that she would need to face severe consequences when she engaged in such an action. One can lose their modeling career if they can’t control their temper. As a civilian, you need to gain the ability to become adaptable to various situations and know well how you need to handle them. Such things were unnecessary when one is a marine because the cases are always managed by the superiors who also give orders. All that is required of a marine is to follow the orders.


The modeling career of Shannon has grown to be very successful. Her basics when she was training as a marine helped her, such as continuing to be tolerant when she began living as a civilian. There are scarier things in modeling than what she experienced as a marine during the bullets, wars, and marching through Afghanistan’s desert. As a civilian, you can do whatever you enjoy most as most decisions are self-driven, and as a marine, most of what you do is guided by the officials from above. Shannon Ihrke has proven all these to be true after serving four years as a marine, and now she has a successful career in modeling.