She wants to be on top! Kiara Belen placed runner-up on Cycle 19 of “America’s Next Top Model,” the college edition. The gorgeous, statuesque former UC Irvine basketball player lost to cornsilk-blonde Laura James, the daughter of “Dynasty” actor John James, in an extremely close final panel. But as pained as I felt watching Kiara take second place, I was also pretty sure this young woman would be OK. From the very first episode, Kiara’s determination to get past her crappy upbringing and her confidence in herself were truly inspiring.
Kiara is busy getting her modeling career off the ground (she’s already worked with Janice Dickinson — not too shabby!), but she was kind enough to answer some of our questions over email about the luscious Rob Evans, kooky competitor Victoria, and Tyra’s best modeling advice.
