Teenager has a model plan for her future
12/28/2000Susie Hillard thinks big.
While many area teens spent the summer working and going to the mall and the pool and Cedar Point, the Notre Dame Academy student went to New York and won second place overall in the International Modeling and Talent Association Convention.
And because of the contacts she made there, she has a big plan:
“I want to attend university, major in musical theater, and go to California this summer,” she said.
Why California? Well, that's where the agents are. And anybody involved with modeling or acting knows the importance of being agented.
“They told me, `Lose the braces, turn 18, and come out here,” she said. (By next summer, she'll have met those requirements.) “A lot of people were interested in my dancing - I do ballroom, swing, and ballet. And one thing I found intriguing was voice-overs. My voice is young-sounding, and that's what they wanted.”
Still, she seems grounded rather than giddy about what's ahead.
“If anything happens, it happens, but otherwise, I'll go to college.”
Current college choices include the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music, New York University, and University of Michigan.
If you're not burnt out on holiday-oriented activities and you happen to be headed for Cincinnati, you still have about a week in which to view the “Dressed for the Holidays” exhibit at the Taft Museum of Art, 316 Pike St. The museum is in the house formerly owned by William Howard Taft's older brother, Charles.
The self-guided tour explores the society and culture of the Taft era (he served as President from 1909-1913). Highlights include fashions of the 1870s through the 1920s (courtesy of the Cincinnati History Museum), table settings by Tiffany & Co., and decorations by Dennis Buttelwerth Florist Inc.
Admission is $4 for adults, $2 for seniors and students, and free for people younger than 18. The museum does not charge an admission fee on Wednesdays and Sundays. The hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays. The museum will be closed on Jan. 1. The exhibit will run until Jan. 7.
To get to the museum, take Interstate 75 south to the Fifth Street exit. Travel east on Fifth Street through downtown. Turn right on Pike Street; the museum is in that block.