As reported in
the New York Times, December 4, 2007. Heather Kuzmich
has not allowed herself to be defined by a diagnosis of
Asperger's Syndrome. She is the one of the most
popular contestants in the
four-and-a-half-year history
of the reality show, America's Next Top Model.
Although Heather
transcends her diagnosis, she has also given millions of
viewers a glimpse into the the world of Asperger's
Syndrome. A gifted art student from Vlaparaiso,
Indiana, she is, of course, absolutely gorgeous.
The show also
depicted her struggles with the 12 other model roommates she
had to live with during the taping of the show. Early
in the show, the other models were depicted being cruel,
catty and backbiting and she appeared socially isolated,
crying on the phone to her mother. Yet she was able to
connect to the camera. Pop star Enrique Iglesias was
so taken by her haunting, striking looks that he chose her
for a featured role in a music video. In a recent interview,
Ms. Kuzmich played down the conflict with the other
contestants, saying many more “civilized” exchanges
weren’t broadcast. “They didn’t make fun of me that
much,” she said.
Heather tried
out for the show partly to test her own limits. “It was a
point in my life where I was thinking either Asperger’s
was going to define me or I was going to be able to work
around it,” she said.
To her surprise,
she was voted the viewer favorite eight weeks in a row,
making her one of the most popular contestants in the
show’s four-and-a-half-year history. “I’m used to
people kind of ignoring me,” she said in the interview.
“At first I was really worried people would laugh at me
because I was so very awkward. I got the exact
opposite.”
Heather made it
to the top five before being eliminated. She has since
made appearances on “Good Morning America” and “Access
Hollywood.” She says she hopes to continue modeling and
eventually become a national spokeswoman for Asperger’s.
“I had no idea it would
be this big,” she said. “My mom . . . watched me when I
was a kid not have any friends, and she saw me struggle.
She’s glad people are starting to understand this.”
To read the
article in the New York Times, click here.
