Today I spoke with this cycle’s runner-up, small-town girl Laura Kirkpatrick. She talked about how disappointing losing was, how the whole town supported her and more!

Full Q&A below the jump!

Tell me about how you got involved in Top Model?

I always wanted to be a model, ever since I was little. Then I got braces. I begged and begged to take them off and finally said ‘if you don’t take these things off me, I’m doing it myself!’ so they did. I went to New York and tried to model. I went on casting calls and auditions. Then my Grandma called me and told me that America’s Next Top Model was having try-outs for girls 5’7” and under. I thought she was confused. But I went online and looked it up and she was right! There was a casting call in Chicago. I drove up and tried out from 6am until 2am the next day. I made it round after round and finally made a video for Tyra. I was told they might call me, they might not, but they did and then I went to Los Angeles!

How did you feel when they said Nicole was the winner?

I was devastated! I cried and cried and cried. My eyes were red and my nose was full of snot. I cried until I couldn’t cry anymore! I was like ‘Tyra, you broke my heart! You ruined my life!’ But the next day, I felt better. Reaching the final two is amazing. I’m so proud of myself. It was an amazing experience and I’m very proud.

Do you feel you were portrayed accurately?

I do! I think I got the best edit out of any of the girls. That was Laura, for sure.

Who are you close with on the show?

Jen is definitely my best friend. We talk every day. We’re going to Hawaii together soon, so that’s real exciting. Sundai is like my little sister, we talk all the time. We related to each other because our home lives are similar. Nicole is like my other little sister. She’d never been away from home before and she was really missing her big sister. I was missing my little sister like crazy so we bonded over that.

Tell me about your CoverGirl commercial.

I didn’t give up. I just let myself relax. I told myself I could stand here all day, it didn’t matter. There was no pressure and I can take as long as I want to get a good take. It when I freak out that I do bad. When I’m relaxed and enjoying myself, I do good. Being dyslexic is hard, it’s something I’ll always struggle with. But I know I can do it, I just need to be relaxed and confident.

Tell me about the runway show.

I love runway! It’s my absolute favorite! I want to go out right now and do it again! Over and over and over! I could do runway forever! The show was so much fun, it was my favorite thing.

Did you watch the show with your family?

I watched the show with my whole town! My dad is the proudest person in the whole world. My town would throw a party somewhere and everyone was invited to come out and watch it. Last night, over 600 people came out! It was so sad. They all cried like little babies when they found out I didn’t win. But it was the biggest party I think the town has ever seen! It was at my old high school and it was so much fun to watch the show with everyone I love.

What’s next for you?

Well, if I win fan favorite, I’m going to move to New York and see where that goes. If I don’t, I’ll just keep on trying modeling, go to New York or Chicago and just keep pursuing my dreams. People who know me know I’m never going to give up. I’m not a quitter, I’m a real hard worker.

Image: Pottle Productions

Post from: Top Model Gossip