Former Top Model contestant to tell students about revelation

Fame, beauty and success: many young adults dream of this life. Leah Darrow had a taste of this lifestyle and walked away.

Darrow, who competed on the hit reality television series "America's Next Top Model," during the third season, said that the glitz and glamour were not satisfying her and that she knew there was something else in life that would make her happy: accepting Jesus Christ back into her heart.

Darrow will speak to students of Southeast Missouri State University at an event on Dec. 12 hosted by the Catholic Campus Ministry about going back to her Catholic roots and how she decided to give up her modeling career in favor of traveling all over the world to speak about her conversion back into Christianity.

"I've been modeling on and off throughout my life," Darrow said, even adding that she even had a contract with Barbie dolls when she was in middle school.

Growing up in a Catholic household in St. Louis, Darrow said that she loved fashion and beauty. She took a break from modeling in high school to focus on her studies and also attended the University of Missouri-St. Louis, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in psychology.

But the modeling life still was appealing to Darrow. Although she said that she had only watched one episode of "America's Next Top Model," when the casting producers came through St. Louis, Darrow auditioned and became one of the 34 semifinalists to compete on the show. At the time, she said that she was OK with the lifestyle.

"It was a time when show was really getting some traction," Darrow said. "It really tempts you with beauty and fame."

Darrow ultimately made it into the final 13 contestants and was eliminated in the second episode of the season for looking too much like a "soccer mom," according to the show's host Tyra Banks. Darrow said that the show doesn't portray how hurt the contestants are after being criticized by all of the judges, especially when the comments begin to get hurtful. She also added that the judges and producers do not encourage the women to become friends with each other since only one will become the "top model."

Although the judges may have thought Darrow was too much like a "soccer mom" to become a "top model," she began to receive many offers for modeling contracts. One of these shoots ended up being the catalyst for Darrow to reaffirm her life.

According to Darrow, she was participating in a modeling shoot that involved her wearing "very immodest clothing," which she said that she was OK with wearing. However, toward the end of the shoot, she said that she saw the flash of the camera and off to the side, she saw a shadow of a man's face.

The pose she was doing had her hands above her head, as if in an offering to the shadowy figure, but her hands were empty. She said that the man looked as if he were disappointed in her empty offering, which she interpreted as her message from God that this was not the life she needed to live. Darrow said that after this revelation, she told the photographers that she needed to leave and walked out of the shoot.

After leaving the shoot, Darrow realized that the fame and success from her modeling career was not bringing her the happiness she was searching for, and it was time to give that life up. She decided that she would start traveling all over the world to spread her message about Jesus Christ.

"When I came back to Christ, I came back to Jesus Christ," Darrow said, referring to what faith she would practice. "I can't leave Jesus Christ and the Eucharist."

Catholic Campus Ministry's campus minister Kristen Rainey thinks that Darrow is a great role model for Southeast students because she's so relatable. Since Darrow was in her early 20s when she competed on "America's Next Top Model," Rainey said that she can talk about her struggle with the different lifestyle and relate these experiences to students.

"Her story is kind of unique since not everyone's been on reality TV," Rainey said.

Darrow will speak at 7 p.m. on Dec. 12 in the University Center Ballroom. Her presentation will last approximately an hour, with a question and answer portion to follow afterwards. The event is free, and all students are welcome to attend.