Kendall Jenner has a very famous family, so it’s not too surprising that she wants to carve her own path in the modeling world rather than count on her name to get her by. The 18-year old said recently that she doesn’t use the name “Jenner” when she’s working, using only her first name. The decision certainly hasn’t kept her from getting jobs; the reality star has been walking the runway in huge shows with some of the biggest names in the business, including fashion icon Naomi Campbell.

Jenner says she’s been using only one name for a while now professionally, because casting directors had some preconceived notions about her because of her infamous family.

“People didn’t want to take a chance on me, I think because I was sort of known. They were a little bit on the fence about it. Some people might think that what I’ve done before made it easier for me to get jobs, but it was actually a disadvantage. I had to work even harder,” she told Teen Vogue.

While some may think that having such well-known sisters would be an asset–especially in the fashion world, into which the Kardashian girls are firmly ensconced–but the opposite tends to be true in certain circles, where fragile egos worry about being overshadowed. It hasn’t stopped Jenner from pursuing her dream, though, as modeling is something she’s wanted since she was very young.

“I wanted to get started, but I was young, and I wanted to do young things. I had to grow into myself. I couldn’t really go out there as a 15-year-old. I mean, I know that some girls do, but I couldn’t. I’d grown up in the spotlight, and I needed to be a kid for a minute,” she said.