ASPIRING WRITERS TELL ABOUT YOUNG MODEL IN PRESS COMPETITION

Anita Meyer of St. Vincent High School in Perryville won first place and Daniel Newton from Notre Dame High School in Cape Girardeau won second place in the Southeast Missouri Student Press Association's write-off competition last week.

About 20 student reporters conducted an interview and wrote their news stories under deadline pressure.

Here are the winning stories.

By Anita Meyer

Charles Reade once said, "Beauty is power, a smile its sword."

Kelly Russell, 15, of Cape Girardeau has the `sword' that it takes to cut into the modeling profession.

As one of the eight national finalists for the JCPenney/Seventeen Magazine 1992 Cover Model Contest, she has taken the modeling profession by storm. In fact, her first week in modeling she received a part in a Hane's television commercial.

Even with all her success, it has put some strain on her family.

"Taking her (Kelly) is like taking the sunshine out of our home," Margaret Russell, Kelly's mother, said.

Margaret always taught Kelly that it is what is inside of you that counts, but after sending her photos in for the first modeling contest they entered her in, she started to feel a little funny about it.

"I always taught Kelly that looks are not the important thing about a person," Margaret said, "but now it seems like we are saying that looks are the important thing about a person."

Margaret credits Kelly's success on Kelly's "...belief in being herself and her belief in doing the right thing.

"It is hard for the family to have Kelly so far away from us," Margaret said, "but our family is so much like a team that we all support her."

Modeling is also hard for Kelly as well. According to her mother, she hasn't had a hamburger in six months and is restricted to a complete health diet like yogurt and bagels.

Kelly's success has not put as much of a burden on the rest of the three younger siblings as expected.

"Since the family is such a team," Margaret said, "we all feel like we have accomplished her success as well."

Kelly may have an extreme amount of success in modeling at this point, but right now she is looking toward an interest in acting and taking time out to be a mother.

Kelly's sword has proven to be shining bright and her family is steadily healing from the wounds caused by the cut to the team.

By Daniel Newton

Margaret Russell, of Cape Girardeau, lives the life of most typical homemakers. Her activities and interest center around those of her children and husband. But there is a different between Margaret and other housemakers. Her oldest daughter, 15-year-old Kelly Russell, has been modeling in Los Angeles since August.

Kelly began to think about modeling at the age of 12 when family, friends and even strangers told her she should think about being a model. She entered her first contest two and a half years ago but was so unsure about it she didn't even tell her best friend. She was an immediate success, though, as she was selected as one of three finalists out of 66,000 entrants for the JCPenney/Seventeen Cover Model Contest. For this she won two all paid trips to New York. Last April Kelly interviewed with several Los Angeles model agencies. Because of her hard work she now models at Elite Model Management in Los Angeles. While not modeling she works out and attends school at Torrey Pines High School in DelMar, Calif. Her mom said, "It was a terrible sacrifice to let her go because she is such a joy around the house." Kelly plans to come home and attend Central High School during the second semester.

Besides modeling Kelly is busy with many other activities. She has been in many singing and acting roles in plays. She is an A honor roll student at Central and is in Concert Choir, Beta Club, Drama Club, Thespian Club. She was Student of the Year in Social Studies and second place in district Spanish Speaking award. She is also on the high school dance squad and receives lessons at the Academy of Dance-Arts. She also plays tennis, basketball and is a baton twirler.

Much of the success of Kelly is because of her family. Margaret said, "Our family works as a team to help Kelly. Her older brother, Keith II, gave up his car money to send Kelly to California."

Her father, Keith, works at Southeast Missouri State University. She also has two younger brothers, Wade and James, and a younger sister, Elizabeth. Despite Kelly's success as a model her mother still teaches that looks are not the important thing, but what is inside the person is.