By KARAN MINNIS, Guardian Lifestyles Reporter

Bahamian-born beauty turned international model, Braneka Basset, has the storm riddled tropics to blame for not being able to visit "home" this weekend. Born in Freeport, Grand Bahama, Braneka caught the attention of Bahamians when she was first featured on the Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency (JDMA) show which aired on the Oxygen channel, in Oct. 2006.

The then 16-year-old braces-wearing high school student was turned away for being too young. The following July, sans braces, Braneka, went back for another tryout and was accepted into JDMA.

During that year Braneka booked several jobs including a photo shoot with Dragonfly Clothing, her biggest job for the agency that season. In the shoot, which was done by Edward Bata, Braneka played Lisa "left Eye" Lopez.

Since then, she says she's been working even more, and has done music videos, and was one of the background models in T.I.'s video for "Whatever You Like". She also did a Ne-Yo video called "Go On Girl" and television shows. She also just received a contract with Next Modeling Agency in L.A. for extra promotions.

Braneka, a natural beauty has been representing Bahamians in style. She says she's recognized a lot more and is getting more opportunities from all different points in the industry. She actually wrapped filming on a television show called Crazy Adventures that's going to be featured in Italy with another model.

"We actually went on this documentary excursion with an Italian photographer and his cameramen around the different southwest historic points of the U.S. and interviewed people. We went to cities like Utah, and Nevada, and we saw the Grand Canyon — that was the most breathtakingly amazing thing I have ever seen in my life. We also went skiing, horseback riding, and white water rafting, so it was just an amazing experience."

She has also signed with an acting coach, to help her get in touch with her emotions, and teach her how to act.

"I'm not the kind of person that just jumps up and says I want to act. I'm the kind of person who tries to come out perfect and be the best when I come out. I don't want to have to grow and become the best. You only get better and better in time but I don't want to have to come out as this non-talented person. I want to come out like like a Halle Berry," says Braneka.

"With Janice its reality and non-scripted, but with acting you have to learn how to portray a different character, how to cry on cue, how to be able to yell and scream when you need to without really being in that position. Really ... you have to be someone else, so for now I've just been working background trying to perfect my acting career."

While this season of the Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency is currently airing, and Braneka wasn't one of the models chosen by Janice to move into the house, she says the next step for her is either Italy or Paris, where she's hoping to get into a few fashion shows.

"I'm hoping to be doing high fashion couture where they notice me and I'm taken to Italy and Paris, and featured there — that's how you become a super model. When you take your career overseas, and you work hard there you get noticed there and that's where I want to talk my career," she says.

"But I've been working on the acting side of my career a little bit as well because in this industry actors are now being featured on the covers of "Elle", "W", and "French Vogue". Therefore as model we have to work 30 times as hard just to be featured on the covers because there are actress on there now. So really that's what I've been trying to do."
In her quest for greatness, Braneka says she has still come up against a few roadblocks. "I find that there is still a race issue in the industry. Being African American in this industry is a downfall itself — especially when you first come out, therefore you have to work not only 30 times as hard to beat the Caucasian models but another 50 times as hard to beat out the other black models that are trying to be out the Caucasian models. And it's just so hard, but I'm doing my best.

"But the best part of all my success has been the Bahamian support. People have been calling, and e-mailing me non-stop and life doesn't get better than that — especially since I spent most of my life in the United States."

The Freeport-born beauty moved to Florida a the age of seven, before the family uprooted to Atlanta, Georgia at 15 so that she could pursue her dreams. They then moved to Los Angles at 17, but she says she still calls The Bahamas home. "Most of my family is still in The Bahamas and we travel there to see them a lot," she says.

Braneka, was scheduled to arrive in New Providence today for a four-day visit to celebrate her 19th birthday, on Tuesday, Sept. 9, but that visit was called off due to the inclement weather churning around the islands.

Besides taking time out to meet fans, the one thing she wanted to do most was eat. "I miss the food," she says. "I've been thinking and dreaming about conch salads and cracked conch especially 'cause I can't get conch way out here in L.A. and I love conch salad and conch fritters so I can't wait to get there and get some conch.

Like a true Bahamian, Braneka loves food, and says that when she does indulge she has to watch her weight, which can become an issue. "I find that maintaining my weight is also very hard because I am African American and like Tyra [Banks] said we gain weight faster and our body built is different than that of a Caucasian model, so I have to work out twice as hard and eat twice as right."

She loves food, and says it can become frustrating when she wants to eat something she knows she shouldn't have, but says she will not do is starve herself, and won't become bulimic or develop any other eating disorder. She counters her love for food, by working out harder. "I try to do my best, and I try to work as hard as it as I can to make the Bahamas proud.

"Now on the business side of it, I'm also coming there to tell Bahamians that I have been noticing the love that they're giving me and I appreciate it so much because it feels so good to have a support system and to know that you have a whole country routing for you."

Adding that she also wants to connect with the Bahamian people, Braneka says that she just wants people to know the real her.

"I'm coming to show people who I am. Most people see me here in Hollywood and think that my career is so easy but it's not easy [and] I want them to know my story and know my struggle in getting here, [having] being born in Freeport and getting all the way to L.A. and to Hollywood to be on the Janice show and being on the runways and in front of these photographers.

"It wasn't easy to get here and it definitely wasn't easy on my parents, [Cory and Kenneth], who came from being nothing in The Bahamas to having a daughter whose something in L.A."

Whenever she arrives, Braneka's visit will be a whirlwind of activity with radio and television interviews to be taped, with an objective of getting a few episodes of the Janice show filmed in the country. "I think that will put me on a completely different level in terms of being noticed on the show," she said.

Braneka's mom Cory, who also serves as her manager, says the visit was also planned to give Braneka the opportunity to see the way of life in The Bahamas, and that it's important for Braneka to know her roots.

"We want to get Braneka back in touch with life as a Bahamian. We're hoping to maybe go to an [Family Island] to let her see that side of it. My husband, Kenneth, and I know of it, and she's heard of it, but she doesn't really understand it. Braneka knows of the food because I cook it, but she's not really in touch with what it really took for her to be living in Beverly Hills. Right now she's living a dream and that dream become a reality for her because of the scarifies that we as parents have made for her. We're also going to film the entire thing as we take her around," she said.

Braneka is currently enrolled in Santa Monica Community College where she's pursuing a degree in nursing online and at night.