Four feet above the ground with dozens of photographers below her, the 5’10 model took the runway wearing a golden sparkling evening gown by Versace. Her hourglass figure, pin straight hair and makeup highlighting her green eyes and cheekbone captured the audience.

While the director is proud of his model, he often hides it from the young girl as he hurries her off the stage and into the dressing room for her next change.

“I enjoy getting my hair and makeup done,” Megan Gable, ’03, said. “I also like wearing the beautiful dress.”

Many teenagers have desires to become a model, but as Gable says modeling is not always perfect. Her sister Ashley Gable, ’05, agrees. While the sisters have modeled for bridal company they have decided to avoid professional modeling because of the pressures involved with it.

“I won’t go into professional modeling,” Ashley said, “The directors want you to look a certain way. They will make sure you have a low self-esteem to keep your weight down.”

While physical beauty is a prerequisite for a modeling career, a stage presence and self-confidence may be more important Megan said.

“You need to love yourself and know that God made you the way he wanted you to look like,” Megan said. “No matter what any person tells you, you are still beautiful in God’s eyes. I am not willing to sacrifice how I feel about myself for the fleeting fame of modeling career.”

Meagan has decided to stop modeling when she enters Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo in the fall.

People say that modeling is not hard and they want to become a model, but campus students that have modeled before are uncertain if they want to pursue a career.

“I feel that there is a lot of pressure in modeling,” Kacie Filgas, ’05, said. ” I always feel that I have to constantly be perfect. I feel that I can never be myself but I have chosen that it is not what I thought it would be.”

For more information about wedding planning and bridal shows, go to www.bridalfair.com.