In April of 2007, sophomore Kassi Hartdegen got a phone call that would change her life.

“Hi, My name is Nita, and my agency is looking for new faces, are you between the ages of 13 and 18?” the lady on the phone said. Hartdegen has always thought about modeling, but never thought she would have a real chance at it until this moment.

“She asked if I wanted to go in for an audition,” Hartdegen said.

Hartdegen went to an interview at the Omni Hotel in Las Colinas.

“There were about 100 girls,” Hartdegen said. “They made us runway walk, then recite a monologue. I started at Barbazin school, and after Barbizon I was accepted into AMG agency.”

Hartdegen’s excitement built up in her stomach, and she was called for her first photo shoot.

“It was a lot of photos, just to get us into the ‘feel’ of everything,” Hartdegen said. “I felt I did pretty well, and I felt good about it.”

Hartdegen says she still gets the butterflies.

“Even though I’ve been modeling for three years, at the beginning of a shoot or runway show, I get really nervous,” Hartdegen said. “Like an adrenaline rush.”

Modeling takes a lot of time and dedication Hartdegen said.

“I have private lessons with a runway coach twice a week,” Hartdegen said. “I practice at home, I practice a lot.”

Hartdegan said there’s more to modeling than “meets the eye.”

“I have been duct-taped to dresses and tried to walk in 8-inch heels,” Hartdegen said. “It’s just been crazy.”

Hartdegen takes three days out of her week to dedicate to modeling.

“I have practice twice a week, and a photo shoot nearly every week, so it can be a lot,” Hartdegen said.

Hartdegen was very young when she decided she wanted to be a model.

“I watched a lot of ‘America’s Next Top Model,’” Hartdegen said. “My aunt always told me I’d make a great model, so I went for it.”

Hartdegen said she hopes to have a successful future in modeling.

“It makes me feel good that they want to see me and want to take pictures of me,” Hartdegen said.

Though her images having been used in a variety of ways, Hartdegen said she’s still waiting to break into one type of publication.

“I’ve been on fliers, and I’ve been on websites, but not a magazine yet,” Hartdegen said. “Hopefully, [in the future] that would be great.”