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Coeburn native Holly Kiser winner of Bravo's 'Make Me a Supermodel'

Published April 4th, 2008 | 0 Comments

Holly Kiser strikes a pose on the reality show 'Make Me a Supermodel.' Courtesy of Bravo.
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“We’re really just thrilled. We were overwhelmed when they announced it last night,” said Sharon Kiser after learning that her 21-year-old daughter, Holly, who left her Coeburn home just two years ago, had won Bravo Channel’s “Make Me a Supermodel” reality show.

“She’s really happy. We got to talk last night for the first time since January 2nd, and it was a short call, but she wanted us to thank everybody for their support.”

The proud mother said her daughter told her in that brief conversation that she doesn’t feel any different than before the show, but displaying some mother’s intuition, Sharon added, “I guess it’s just not sunk in yet.”

Her proud father said while he was pleased to see his daughter doing so well with a dream she’s carried since she was small, “it’s a relief that it’s over.”

“I am so proud of her,” said Joe Kiser. “It was amazing to see her on TV and know it was being broadcast everywhere. Every time I saw her, tears would well up in my eyes. That’s a dream she’s had since she was small. She tried going to college, but college was just not her dream, so she took a chance and went to Miami to try modeling. She saw an opening for this, and she applied. I just couldn’t believe she’s done so well. She has a lot of confidence to be so young. She probably had more confidence in herself than I had in her. I just get more and more proud of her each time I see her.”

Holly has reportedly decided to give her $100,000 prize money to her parents, but her dad said he wants her to use it to pay off credit cards and perhaps invest some of it.

“We could use it,” he said, “but it’s her money. She earned it.”

While the prize package includes a one-year contract with a modeling agency owned by one of the show’s judges, other television appearances and modeling jobs, her father just wants to be sure his baby remains financially secure when those contracts expire. Even though he knows this exposure will lead to more work.

Sharon said her daughter told the family after the show ended that it had been the most stressful period of her life.

“And it’s been hard for us to not to get to talk to her. We used to talk every day, but during the show they kept them in seclusion, and we weren’t allowed to do that anymore.”

Her mother said Holly plans to take a couple of weeks off soon to head back to her home in Miami to relax a bit before she has to return to New York.

Before she returns to Miami, Joe said she will be filming an episode of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” doing a photo shoot for GQ magazine, and doing a number of television and radio interviews.

“We don’t know when she’s going to get to come back here,” said her mother.

In her diary on the official Bravo TV Web site, Holly thanked her fans and her family for their support and said while she prayed to win, she was prepared to hear otherwise.

“I sort of convinced myself that I wouldn’t win. I just wanted to be prepared to hear it, but when we’re up there in front of the panel, I just prayed and prayed and thought that no matter what I knew whatever happened was for a reason. I’m such a strong believer in that. It finally came down to Ronnie and me, and looking at the past with his fan base I prepared to lose. All of a sudden Niki said that ‘America made you into a Supermodel,’ OH MY GOSH — I bawled my eyes out, I just couldn’t believe how this just finally happened for me.

“With all of the rejection I’ve had in my whole career to be a model. America thank you for believing in me and giving me a chance to live my dream. I really want to be an example for those who have dreams despite whatever opportunities they feel they don’t have. I came from the hills of Appalachia, and look at where I am right now. I never took no for an answer.

“America, I just can’t thank you enough, I promise you will not see the last of me, and I promise I won’t let you down. Mom, Dad and Ray, I hope I made you guys proud. All that money you put into it was worth it. I owe you that check! Thank you so much for believing in me, I did it guys, I did it. I’M A SUPERMODEL!”

A profile of Holly, video excerpts of her runway takes, and other features are available at the “Make Me a Supermodel” Web site, which can be accessed at: www.bravotv.com.

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