It's Official: Jasmine Sanders Is Sports Illustrated Swimsuit's Rookie of the Year!

Jasmine Sanders has a pretty huge reason to be celebrating today: the model has officially been named Sports Illustrated Swimsuit's 2019 Rookie of the Year! The news was announced in a post on si.com.

"Jasmine's professional dedication is impressive," SI Swimsuit editor, MJ Day, said of the model in a statement. "She shows up for this brand in an EXEMPLARY fashion. She takes being a part of the SI Swimsuit franchise very seriously. She is effortlessly chic, whip smart, humble, engaging, and a pleasure to be around. Her participation makes this brand better, and I couldn't be happier to name her our 2019 Rookie of the Year!"

Known on Instagram as Golden Barbie, Jasmine started her modeling career as a teenager, and has been featured in Vogue, Esquire, Allure, Glamour, and GQ, among many other publications, and has worked with brands like Nike, Free People, and Aldo over the course of her 15-year career. Jasmine joins the ranks of previous Rookie of the Year winners including Chrissy Teigen (2010), Kate Upton (2011), Barbara Palvin (2016), and Alexis Ren (2018).

Rookies are chosen each year based on a combination of popular vote, editor's choice, and a history as an SI Swimsuit brand ambassador. This year's class of hopefuls included other famed models like Winnie Harlow, Tara Lynn, and Halima Aden, who made history this year as the first model to wear a hijab and a burkini in the magazine. Read ahead to see SI Swimsuit's announcement and to check out Jasmine's emotional reaction to the news.