Life on the catwalk is the most likely career option for young model Stacy Dawson.

When she attended Model Search America earlier this month, she wowed many of the top US agencies.

With the prompting of Earlette Stephens, owner of Upscale Fashions, Lamont Robinson, of Jakoma Productions, photos by photographer Troy Jennings, and with her mother's faith, Miss Dawson was well on her way to success.

But the three went one step further and put their money and time where their mouths were. Ms Stephens paid for her room and board and fees into the event, Mr. Robinson paid for her airfare and Mr. Jennings donated his creativity and time to produce her portfolio.

The actions by the trio gave her the opportunity to be seen by about 60 of the top 100 modelling agencies in the US. Their actions landed her with 14 modelling agencies and three magazines who were interested in her.

Miss Dawson was overwhelmed by the fact that they thought so highly of her.

"I was very, very excited to think that people cared about me like that because I didn't think of doing anything like that," said the 21-year-old. "But Earlette saw something in me and she believed in it that much that she was willing to sponsor me.

"Jakoma sponsored my plane ticket and Troy Jennings sponsored my portfolio and he is one of the best photographers that I know."

Ms Stephens had been looking on the Internet with Miss Dawson's career in mind when she stumbled across Model Search America. She then got in touch with Mr. Robinson, who then contacted Mr. Jennings and the rest they say is history. The Model Search America (MSA) event was held at the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas, over three days. Mr. Robinson forwarded her pictures to them, but Miss Dawson had to take part in a telephone interview.

"I got accepted," she said, still somewhat amazed. There were over 1,000 people who signed up."

The first day was seminars, the second day they took part in a runway presentation and the possible models then had to walk around the room with a number pinned on the front of them and two portfolio pictures in hand.

If the agencies liked the look of you they would write your number down and maybe ask a question or two. It was a stoic process," Miss Dawson said. "I was like, 'good afternoon, hi and have a nice day.' But you just kept going until all of the agencies had seen you.

"Later that same evening the agencies then called out the numbers of the people they wanted and you listened out for your number.

"I ended up getting 17 call backs, of which there were 14 agencies and three magazines. The next day we had one-on-ones.

"It was a very humbling process and an experience that I will never forget it."

The agencies and magazines were not able to make any decisions on the spot, but some did express a serious interest.

"Some of them told me that they were interested in me and they will keep up with me, and some told me to contact them when I am ready to start."

Along with the agencies the magazines assured her that as soon as she has an agent, she has work with them.

But although this might sound like a pretty girl's dream come true, the former Mount Saint Agnes student, noted that it takes dedication.

"I have had a job ever since I was in primary school," ?I have had a job ever since I was in primary school,? said Miss Dawson, ?And people think that because you are modelling, it is not really a job, but people are spending their money on you.

?People have taken the time to pick you to do something and you can at least show them the courtesy to show up on time.

?And if... I have something to wear that I don?t like, I don?t say that I don?t like it ? I wear it and I make it look like the best outfit ever. You have to do that. You don?t complain if they make your face up and you don?t usually wear your makeup like that. You are there to make their stuff look good ? that is what you have been hired to do.?

While there, some of the agencies asked what was different about her.

She told them that although she was only 21, she understood that modelling was a business and she said: ?I am there to make money for you and I am a professional.

?I think one of the things that also benefited me when I went to Model Search America was that I had modelled before and I had training. I find the time and if I have part-time jobs and I am not obligated then I will go to the modelling job, even if it is non-paying just for the exposure and experience.

?This is what I love to do and they say that if you do what you love, you will never work another day in your life.?

There were more than 1,000 hopefuls. Out of that number 200 did not attend, and about 500 people got call backs.

?Eighty to 90 percent of them only got one call back, but there was one agent for all of these agencies, who has to meet with all of these people in three hours.

?They are sitting at a table and if you are really not what they are looking for, they really don?t have time to make you feel better about yourself.?

The agencies loved her pictures and she met Janis Dickenson, who was one of the judges on America?s Next Top Model and the woman who also coined the phrase ?supermodel?.

?She loved me, because of two of the pictures that I had out of my portfolio were Troy Jennings photos,? she said. ?She snatched them out of my hand and asked, ?Who is this girl? I love this girl. This is perfect.??

Miss Dawson also met the model Coco Mitchell, who was the first black model in Sports Illustrated.

?She is 54 years old and she said, ?by the grace of God, I still work, but I want you to know, don?t expect everybody to fall in love with you, because it is not personal.

?They may just be looking for a blonde and you?re a brunette or they may need an Asian and you?re not, so keep trying.??

But Miss Dawson said the experience could make you want to stop. ?Because you are sitting there talking to them and some of them won?t even look at you.

?They?re like, ?And you are?? They look at your pictures and send you on your way in less than two minutes.?

But contrary to popular thought, Miss Dawson was not a born model and she shied away from it, but her mother, Coreen, and grandmother, the late Eileen Dawson, thought differently.

Her mother took her to an open day when she was five, but because she held onto her mother?s leg the agent told her that she could not be one of her models because she was too shy.

But in later years she said laughing, her mother forced her into modelling and made her go to another open call.

?I didn?t want to go, but she said, ?the worst they can tell you is no and if they say no, I?ll never make you go to another one again?. So they put me in the show and I was scared to death because I had never walked in six-inch stiletto heels. I had to walk around the pool at Newstead and I had this picture in my head that I would fall in the water. Although I was terrified, I really enjoyed it and I decided that being a model was what I wanted to do.?

Since which she has took part in shows and shoots for REL Designs, Bells are Ringing Bridal Show, Jakoma Winter Shows, Department of Tourism shoots and she went to the New York Fashion Week with Minister of Tourism Dr. Ewart Brown and Patrice Morgan, editor of SHOW OFF Magazine, the now defunct Trimingham?s Bridal Show, Upscale Spring Promotions, SHOW OFF Magazine and numerous others. Asked if she sees herself strutting her stuff on the catwalk in the future, she said: ?I do and I think it is so funny because I am so shy and so quiet.

?But out there I can be whoever I want to be, and whatever outfit I have on I can switch into that, and as soon as I get off the runway, I am back to me and I can be as shy as I want to be.?

When asked if it was difficult to keep a portfolio, she said: ?Yes it is, but my mom keeps up with it. I am so thankful to her.

?She gives me all the glory and anything that I think that I can?t do, she says, ?but you are perfect, you can do anything,?

?I have no flaws to my mama and I love her so much for that. Anything I need is taken care of and if I am doing a modelling shoot and I need something for that job, she will see to it that I have it even if she has to go without something, because she knows that this was what I was meant to me.

?And every time I think that I can?t do something, I think, ?I can?t do that to my mama.?

?In fact when I got to Model Search America, I wasn?t going to go, I was scared and I was thinking that there are going to be all these people down there and I wasn?t going to go.

?I was supposed to have a roommate and she hadn?t come and I was thinking perhaps they didn?t give me one and if I didn?t have one than nobody would know that I didn?t go.

?I was really thinking about it and then she came and she was really nice and I thought, ?I?d go down there with her.?

?And once I got down there I found that it wasn?t so bad, and the organisers said that out of all the people who paid to come, 20 percent did not show up because they were scared.?