Student models balance school, runway aspirations

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Some Central Michigan University students make hard decisions about their education in order to advance in the modeling world.

Howell sophomore Krissy Salenik said she is transferring to a college closer to home so she can become a signed model.

“I always get emails with people saying, ‘When will you be home next?’” she said. “And with working at La Senorita’s, it’s hard to know when I’m going to have the time off.”

Salenik said modeling is an easy way for her to make money.

“I am paying for my own school, so everything I can do to make money is a plus,” she said.

Once she finds the time to go home, she said modeling is the only thing she has time to do.

“It takes away from seeing my family, so it’s really stressful that I don’t get to go home enough for it,” she said. “Basically I only get to go home on the breaks and not even once a month.”

Photographer Drew Jablway of Laurel Moon Studios, Sterling Heights, said the stereotype about models has changed drastically over the years.

“Many models now have college educations and prepare for the future,” he said. “They’re not just sitting there looking pretty, they are learning the business.”

Having an education is important for Saline sophomore Courtney O’Hara, who acts as an extra on different movie and television show sets.

O’Hara’s most recent work was as an extra in “The Five-Year Engagement” starring Jason Segel and Emily Blunt.

“At first it was kind of shocking because you’re around all these famous people and you can’t really talk to them or do anything about it,” she said. “You’re kind of all excited to yourself.”

Under the direction of David Schwimmer, O’Hara also played as an extra in “Scream 4.”

Although all of O’Hara’s work is done in Michigan, booking is still an issue because of conflicts with her school schedule.

“(Agencies) kind of understand you’re in school so you’ll get less jobs,” she said. “So it’s how much you want to work versus how much you want to do school.”

She said that makes it hit or miss for jobs she is assigned to because school is her first priority.

“School, I feel like is something I have to do and modeling is something I want to do,” the Saline native said. “But I know in the long run school is something I can fall back on if modeling doesn’t work out.”