HIGH LIFE : A Blessing, Model Contestant Says

Heather Hoffmann, a 14-year-old from Westminster, has been selected an alternate in the ‘TEEN Magazine 1989 “Great Model Search.”

“I was very excited. I could not believe it,” said Heather, who will be a freshman at Calvary High School in Costa Mesa this fall. “I have been a dancer since age 2, but this is all so new. It’s happened so quickly. It’s a blessing.”

As one of the nation’s largest annual hunts for new modeling talent, this year’s ‘TEEN Magazine contest attracted 24,000 entrants from across the country. The yearlong process ends with the selection of 12 finalists and four alternates who will compete in this month’s national finals in Los Angeles.

In addition to appearing on the cover of ‘TEEN, the winner will receive $10,000 and modeling contracts from Maybelline and the Gillette Co. and a wardrobe from Mike Benet Formals.

Lisa Merritt, a 16-year-old sophomore at Capistrano Valley High, and Stephanie Schramm, a 16-year-old sophomore at Mission Viejo High, were two of 96 semifinalists in the contest.

Heather’s interests include dance, musical theater, softball and math. Lisa is a junior varsity cheerleader who enjoys traveling, bicycling and aerobics, and Stephanie participates in swimming, horseback riding and aerobics.

In at least one way, every day has been like every other day for Darla Kitchen since she started attending school.

But unlike most other students, Kitchen has never missed a day of school, thanks to the fact that she had all her childhood diseases before she entered kindergarten at Iva Meairs Elementary School in Westminster.

She has perfect-attendance awards from Meairs and Warner Intermediate School, also in Westminster.

Kitchen, now a senior at Westminster High School, says, “People ask me about it a lot now as it gets closer to graduation.” And she adds that perfect attendance now is “very important.”