STYLE-SETTER: Fitchburg's Rylee Jo LeBlanc, a Monty Tech student, landed on the March cover of "Sassy Couture" magazine in a "Steampunk" look. SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE / ASHLEY GREEN




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FITCHBURG -- In just a few months, Fitchburg's Rylee Jo LeBlanc has gone from casually taking pictures with her older sister to gracing the cover of a national magazine.
It only took two photo shoots with Leominster photographer Jonathan Route to land the 16-year-old on the cover of the March issue of Sassy Couture magazine. The magazine's parent company, Southern Sass, lists her as a "model to watch" on its website.
When she found out she made the cover, she said she was amazed and told her friends.
"I was really excited," she said. "I wasn't expecting it at all."
LeBlanc's porcelain skin and gray-blue eyes stand out against her black lipstick and the gears imposed on her face.
Rylee Jo LeBlanc shows off her recent work with Leominster photographer Jonathan Route.SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE / ASHLEY GREENSentinel and Enterprise staff
Rylee Jo LeBlanc shows off her recent work with Leominster photographer Jonathan Route. SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE / ASHLEY GREEN

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Round goggles rest atop her messy brown hair appropriately fashioned with the "Steampunk" theme of the issue. Her slender frame is adorned with a black leather dress posed against the backdrop of industrial machinery on Airport Road in Fitchburg.
Another one of her photo shoots with Route, at Coggshall Park in Fitchburg, made an earlier "Gatsby" issue of Sassy Couture. After his original model couldn't attend the shoot, Route called LeBlanc to model instead -- a last-minute move that sparked her interest in modeling.
Although her priority right now is finishing her dental-assistant studies at Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School, she continues to pursue modeling in hopes of it becoming a career, she said.
Next week she's heading to Boston to meet with the agency Dynasty Models and Talent. LeBlanc's parents, Chris and Beth, said they emailed the director a couple of images from her portfolio and were contacted right away.
"We heard back the next day, totally unexpected," Chris LeBlanc said. "We thought we'd be waiting for weeks."
LeBlanc's parents both said they are incredibly proud of their daughter.
"I think it's great, it's absolutely fantastic as long as she's having fun," Beth LeBlanc said.
Rylee Jo LeBlanc shows off her work with Leominster photographer Jonathan Route. One of their recent shoots, at Coggshall Park in Fitchburg, made an
Rylee Jo LeBlanc shows off her work with Leominster photographer Jonathan Route. One of their recent shoots, at Coggshall Park in Fitchburg, made an earlier "Gatsby" issue of Sassy Couture. SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE / ASHLEY GREEN

Sentinel and Enterprise staff photos can be ordered by visiting our SmugMug site.
"If the fun wears off it's not worth it."
"I want to see where it goes," Rylee said.
Follow Jordan Tillery on Twitter @JordanTillerySE.