by Gina Scarpa and Michelle Spigner

 

If you think that it's pointless to continue to apply for the same reality show season after season, think again. Krista White has been auditioning for America's Next Top Model since 2003. After finally landing a spot on cycle 14, she took the judges' critiques each week and applied them, going from being on the chopping block to a frontrunner. Last night, she was crowned the cycle 14 winner and today, spoke to RealityWanted about her amazing journey.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: How does it feel to be America's Next Top Model?
A. Krista: It feels amazing. I'm still nervous and scared and this is the time where it really counts. I'm prepared and I'm ready.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: How did your friends and family react?
A. Krista: Everyone was crying. I called in because I'm in New York right now. I called Arkansas and there were tears. I could hardly hear them. They took me to all the auditions I went to. They remember what it took for me to get here.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: You talked a lot on the show about wanting to be a role model for girls from small towns and dark-skinned girls. What do you hope you've shown these girls?
A. Krista: I want them to know that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. You're beautiful no matter what. Once you realize that, nobody can tell you anything else. It's something I had to learn too and that's why I went to all those auditions.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Speaking of, most people would've given up after trying out for a few cycles and not making it. What made you keep coming back?
A. Krista: I am not a quitter! I am so not a quitter! You tell me no, I'm gonna keep coming back especially if it something I want. I don't give up easily.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Do you think trying out so many times and being such a fan of the show helped you in the competition?
A. Krista: No, I don't think it helped me. I think me watching some of the previous cycles and doing my homework, that helped me. In the competition I was still nervous. I felt like at any moment I could go home.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Your first photo in the competition was one of the weaker ones and then, by the end, you were winning best photo every week. How did you make such an improvement?
A. Krista: I think for me, a lot of it came from listening. I was going in there and I thought I knew what modeling was. I really didn't know and understand what was going on. The competition is a learning experience. After a while, I started listening to the comments and critiques that they would give me and the other girls. I would go home, write it down, and make it work for me. It worked for me in the end.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: You are very high-fashion in your poses and on the runway, which is something that some of the girls in the competition struggled to achieve. How did you do it?
A. Krista: I know my niche. I'm built for high fashion. I know my bone structure is very strong and can come across as a little harsh and that's more high fashion. I struggled, too! My struggle was being commercial. It's kinda like we flip flopped. It was difficult for all of us.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: So what's next for you?
A. Krista: I kind of have a lot of things I want to do and I wanna have a lot of things on my plate. Becoming a Cover Girl is amazing. I love makeup! I get all the free makeup in the world. How fun and amazing is that? I'm a huge fan of the Queen Collection. The little stuff is the stuff that I value. I think for me, it's gonna mean a lot and open a lot of doors. I want to mentor young girls and definitely continue doing what Tyra is doing. Now that she's leaving her talk show, that's something I'd love to get into. I'd love to mentor and educate girls on what's going on in today's society. Tyra was that branch. Where are we gonna get that from now?

 

 

(Image courtesy of the CW)

 

　
Follow Gina at twitter.com/ginascarpa

 

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