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With eyes ahead to the new year, we brought together the fresh new faces that are challenging the status quo. Artists, activists, and musicians, our Class of 2017 is forging the path ahead with hope and optimism. We sat down Israeli model and actress Stav Strashko to chat about her turn into acting, her expressive childhood, and her backup plan to become a fashion designer.  Age: 24 Occupation: Model, Actress Sign: Libra Senior Superlative: Most Creative  Who is Stav Strashko?  Who is Stav? I don’t know. A girl, model, that is trying to make it in acting as well. What do you want to know? I'm so bad at talking about myself. What’s the first thing you can ever remember making?  I would take everything I had in my room and make it a tent, I guess, or a castle. I would always do that kind of thing and play and pretend I was camping outside. In terms of creating, like really creating something, I have my sketchbook where I draw some different stuff, also a lot of designs like clothes. Mostly dresses. Usually very psychedelic and weird stuff. Right now this notebook is stored in a room and I don't know, right now I'm dealing with other stuff but who knows I'm keeping it for one day. Maybe I'll want to design or create my own things, so I just pull it out of the drawer and look at my sketches and start creating something, something I would really like to do if I had the option to.  Tell us about your acting.  I'm working on a few things. I can't really talk too much but I'm getting involved in something in the states and I've been acting for some time in Israel too. One of the reasons that I'm flying back to Israel for three days is to work in an upcoming moving with award winning directors. Stuff is going to start to come up really soon. I still can't talk about it too much. Very hush hush. That’s exciting. Did you always want to be a model?  I always knew that I was going to be performing, either dancing or acting. I was a very expressive kid. I never thought that I'd be a model. But when I was 16 I got scouted. I decided to give it a shot and I started modeling and it started to go pretty well in Israel so I decided it could be a great step for me to pursue a modeling career and it could get me closer to what I really want to do, which is act as well. As a creative person, do you feel you have both the power and the responsibility to create change? I think we all have some power to create change, even if you change one person’s perspective. Right now I don't have too much power but I definitely feel responsible for that. At the moment I have a big enough stage to be heard and say what I want to say, I'll definitely do that. Here, in Israel, I will always do that. I think it's a very important thing.  What big ideas will bring people together in the next year?  I think just love. I’ve always thought that the best way to fight hate is with love. Once you find the way to get into someone's heart and make them understand that it's just unnecessary, all the hatred and the ignorance. That's the best way, to just talk to people. You can't fight hate with hate, it just makes things worse. What do you hope for yourself in 2017?  Well, I hope to spend more time in New York, first of all, because I love it here and good things are happening to me here so that's one thing I hope that will happen this year. Obviously to keep on working and keep busy and at the same time help the trans community somehow if I can. I wish to visit Israel more often, too, so I can be with my family and friends. What do you hope for the world in 2017?  I wish for more acceptance and love and people will love each other. Sometimes it's hard but what we need is to give love without terms. Without any reason, without judgement. I guess that's my wish. Read more interviews with the Class of 2017 Shop Class of 2017