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America's Next Top Model Contestant Attends Radford University |
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Leigh Anne Correll
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Lauren Brie Harding is a business student at Radford University and native of Charlottesville. Her interests in the modeling world have led her to the top - America's Next Top Model, that is. EverythingNRV had the opportunity to interview Harding and see just what it takes to compete for that title.
EverythingNRV: Being from Charlottesville, what inspired you to come to Radford University?
Lauren: I checked into going to lots of other universities but Radford really caught my eye. Radford offers a wonderful business program, a beautiful campus, plus great opportunities to get involved with campus activities. I knew I didn’t want to go to a small school but I also didn’t just want to be a fish in the sea either. Radford offers the perfect combination of everything I was looking for in a university.
EverythingNRV: How long into your RU student career did you decide to take your chances on America's Next Top Model?
Lauren: From season one of Top Model I have always in the back of my mind thought, that if possible, this competition could give me a great leg up in the competitive world of modeling. However it wasn’t until last summer that I really started researching what I needed to do to become a competitor in the competition.
EverythingNRV: How old are you now and hold old were you when you realized modeling was your dream?
Lauren: I just recently turned 21 but my dream of modeling started as a freshman in high school.
EverythingNRV: Have you ever done any kind of professional modeling in the past?
Lauren: When I was 14 I went on a family trip to NYC. My mom took me by two agencies - Ford and Elite. I ended up signing with Elite and doing a few test shoots to help build my portfolio but we soon realized that getting to NYC on short notice just wasn’t feasible for my family. I also enjoyed being a kid at the time and didn’t want to give up playing basketball and my friends for a modeling career in New York City.
EverythingNRV: How does it feel when you are in front of the camera?
Lauren: Honestly I know a lot of people say they feel alive in front of a camera (whatever that’s supposed to mean) for me it just feels natural, like any other talent a person may have.
EverythingNRV: What advice would you give to young girls about becoming models?
Lauren: Modeling is a tough world. Make sure it’s what you really want and then go after it. But first and foremost get an education that you can always fall back on. I plan on pursuing modeling after school and I feel 100 times more confident knowing I have the education to back me up in case modeling doesn’t play out in my cards of life.
EverythingNRV: How do you feel about the stigma's that surround modeling?
Lauren: Yes, there is a stigma surrounding modeling but in reality modeling is a business, you have to be pretty business savvy to be a big competitor in the world of modeling. If there is one thing I have learned by watching Tyra that is she has made herself as a brand name. She has to promote herself and make herself marketable just like any other business must do to be successful. That takes brains!
As for anorexia, that’s a bad choice to make. Modeling requires a lot of time and energy if someone isn’t taking care of their body properly there is no way they can stand the high demands of the industry.
EverythingNRV: How do you overcome these stigmas?
Lauren: I feel as if I break these stigmas by going to college and getting an education. I try very hard to eat healthy and you can find me at the gym 5 days a week doing it the right way.
EverythingNRV: How would you describe yourself to America?
Lauren: I am a small town girl with strong Christian values that enjoys reading and playing sports.
EverythingNRV: How do your family and friends feel about you competing on a
national TV show?
Lauren: My family and friends certainly are excited for me. They can’t wait to watch the competition and see if I win!
EverythingNRV: What are you most afraid of during competition?
Lauren: I am most afraid of failing and letting someone down but that doesn’t strictly apply to the competition, really to life in general.
EverythingNRV: What do you look forward to the most during competition?
Lauren: I look forward to building connections and learning about the industry as a whole.
EverythingNRV: Who is your role model?
Lauren: Well certainly Trya Banks, I don’t just look up to her as a model but as a business woman.
EverythingNRV: What have you learned from watching previous ANTM shows?
Lauren: I have learned that drama is inevitable but that certainly applies to any situation where you live with 14 girls 24/7. There will always be some that will get on your nerves or that you simply won’t like.
EverythingNRV: Who has been your favorite ANTM competitor?
Lauren: CariDee and Melrose have been two of my ANTM favorites, although they have two different competitive styles.
EverythingNRV: If things do not work out for you on the show, what do you have to look forward to when you come back home?
Lauren: When I get back home I look forward to returning back to Radford University and finishing up my senior year. Then I plan on heading to NYC to pursue this dream of mine.
EverythingNRV: What plans do you have for your future, if not modeling?
Lauren: Ultimately I hope to be a successful business woman. I am really considering going into pharmaceutical sales for a little while and then maybe get into the marketing aspect.
EverythingNRV: If things follow through with your modeling career, as Tyra Banks has said, what do you plan to do after modeling?
Lauren: If things follow through with my modeling career I will have to plan accordingly, there could be some great opportunities available.
EverythingNRV: If you win and become America's Next Top Model, what do you plan to accomplish?
Lauren: I hope to use this as a stepping stone for both my modeling career and business career. I also hope to become a role model for young women who are challenged with “learning disabilities.” Letting them know that if you work on developing a core set learning skills that works for you, you can be successful in college and throughout life. However I now don’t even consider my “learning disability” a disability at all. I just know that I have a different way of learning than others. America's Next Top Model returns to TV on Wed., Sept. 3, at 8 p.m. on the CW. Check it out and see Lauren Brie Harding's debut!
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