Biography
It’s a combination of traits that she will work to her advantage as a contestant in the next cycle of “America’s Next Top Model” returning Wednesday on the CW.
The 20-year-old, born and reared in Bartlesville, is a natural for the reality show competition.
“I am fortunate enough to be tall and skinny, so modeling has always seemed an appropriate interest and I’ve always liked magazines and ads with gorgeous people in them,” she said in a recent e-mail interview. (Interviewing the show’s contestants by anything other than e-mail is strictly forbidden, according to the show’s publicist.)
“I think models can be quite fascinating. Kate Moss and Edie Sedgwick are the most intriguing women and it’s because they’re beautiful models up on display who are carelessly destructive.”
On supermodel/executive producer Tyra Banks’ series, 14 finalists, ages 18 to 23, from across the country, live together in a New York City apartment for two months and compete against each other in a series of modeling challenges.
In this 10th edition of the show, their modeling skills will be evaluated by fashion industry judges Banks, photographer Nigel Barker and runway expert J. Alexander.
New this season is Czech-born supermodel Paulina Porizkova, who replaces Twiggy on the judges’ panel. Special guest judges also appear to critique the models in their areas of expertise.
Jenkins, who has never been listed with a modeling agency, said she tried out at an open call in Topeka, Kan., was chosen as a regional semi-finalist and flown to Chicago for an audition with the show’s casting director.
It was a big step for a small-town girl butone that didn’t worry her parents, Carl and M’Liss Jenkins. “They’re very proud and supportive, as good parents should be,” said the 2006 graduate of Bartlesville High School who “did a teensie bit of modeling” while in college in Chicago. “They didn’t seem worried at all. They know me and they know how courageous I am.”
The Oklahoman found the whole reality TV competition to be “NOTHING” like she expected.
“It was a roller coaster,” said Jenkins, who had seen the show before but wouldn’t classify herself as an avid fan. “I just tried to take everything with ease and remember this is a high stress environment.
When dealing with criticism I like to believe it comes fromone or two places: Either someone is critiquing you because they want to downplay your own talents because they’re insecure with their own or somebody really is truthful with their advice and wants you to succeed.”
The whole experience was “surreal,” she explained.
“I still can’t believe I lived in this gorgeous apartment with these beautiful girls. It seems so absurd. I made some wonderful friends, not too many enemies and the stress was incredibly hard to deal with. But I do all right under stress.”
Together, the girls were coached to walk the walk, talk the talk, strike the poses and show or keep in check the emotions needed to be a supermodel. Each week,one contestant who doesn’t measure up is eliminated.
The winner receives a contract with Elite Model management, a $100,000 contract with CoverGirl cosmetics, and a cover and sixpage fashion spread in Seventeen magazine.
The entire adventure was an education, said Jenkins, who follows in the footsteps of Broken Arrow’s Kahlen Rondot, runnerup in the spring 2005 season of “ANTP.”
“I learned that there are always decisions you have to make and there are risks on either end. But if you trust yourself and know yourself wholeheartedly, whatever you decide will be the correct choice.
“I learned that most things are out of your control, but that doesn’t necessarily make them bad.”
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