"The Girls Wanted Me To Be Part Of The Group"– An Interview with America's Next Top Model 9's Heather

RNO: What do you hope to do from here? Are you interested in becoming a spokesperson for Asperger syndrome, or are you more interested in continuing to model right now?

Heather: I really want to continue modeling, but at the moment, I haven’t really put much thought into it yet. It’s early in the game, and I’d love to be a spokesperson for Aspergers, but that hasn’t even been discussed yet.

RNO: Who of the final four would you say has the most potential as a model and who do you think is the most personable?

Heather: I think they all have different strengths that could help them win. It’s tough to choose one because I think they are all equal and all four of them really are good models. It’s a cop-out answers, I know, but it’s how I feel!

RNO: What kind of advice would you give to other girls that are thinking of applying for the show, but also have the same type of anxieties that you have?

Heather: Be honest. Don’t doubt yourself, and be calm. Make sure that you take something along that will relax you, like a stuffed animal or something from home that really makes you feel relaxed. That’s what I did, and it really helped.

RNO: Did you ever get that chance to shower alone?

Heather: Ha! I didn’t care if I was showering alone or not – I just wanted to get IN the shower! Period! I was so tired and just wanted to get clean. (laughs)

RNO: What are your thoughts on the whole judging panel? Were you expecting the judges to be more lenient with you, or did you feel that you were critiqued exactly how you should have been?

Heather: If at any point I felt that the judges were being more lenient on me and harder on the other girls, I would have asked to be sent home. I never wanted to be treated any differently because then it wouldn’t have been fair. I wanted to be treated just like every one of those girls, and I think that’s the way it went down – we were equals.

RNO: Is there anything you would like to add or say to fans of the show?

Heather: Thank you so much to everyone for the support. I’m truly touched at how many people were inspired by me being on the show. I went on wanting to be a role model and show people that you can be different and still do well. I think I proved that, and I’m so happy that I was able to put myself out there for other girls that feel the same way.

RNO: Thanks, Heather!

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Phil Kural is an office manager at a law firm, and graduated from Temple University with a degree in journalism. You can send feedback to him at pkural@gmail.com.

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