Sports Illustrated have just unveiled the cover star of their ever-popular swimsuit issue, and the world is about to get a lot more familiar with emerging model Danielle Herrington.

Last year, Herrington appeared as a rookie in the swimsuit issue – then covered by Kate Upton – and obviously left an impression, having worked her way onto her first ever cover. Originally from California, Herrington has since made her way over to the East Coast and now resides in NYC, where she’s been working on her modelling career.

The news was revealed to the 24-year-old model by Tyra Banks. Herrington and Banks are two of the three black women who have appeared on the cover of SI, with the third being Beyonce.

THANK YOU @si_swimsuit for having me on your COVER. This is my first cover ever and I am beyond speechless! I dedicate this to all the young girls out there. Work hard, surround yourself with good people who believe in you and your DREAMS WILL COME TRUE! To @mj_day and your amazing team at @si_swimsuit #FamilyForever, thank you! To my my parents, family and friends, I LOVE YOU, thank you! To my agent @sandrasperka thank you for not only being the best agent, but also my mentor and friend! To @bodybymato for supporting me for the last 2 years and always being there for me! To my agency @women360mgmt you guys are the bomb! I am the luckiest and most grateful girl DREAM BIG. WORK HARD. BE RESPECTFUL. LOVE EACH OTHER. OWN IT!

A post shared by Danielle Herrington (@danielle_herrington_) on Feb 13, 2018 at 4:50am PST

“I can’t even believe I’m saying this. I am the 2018 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover model,” said Danielle. “I can’t wait for everyone to see it. I’m emotional, but I just want to say thank you to everyone who believed in me. I put in so much work for this and I’m feeling very accomplished, happy and excited,” she said.

See some of Herrington’s shoots with SI below, and stay tuned for her full spread to arrive soon.