Name : Natalie Ward
Course : Second year events management
Claim to fame: Contestant on The Face UK (2013)
There are two types of profiles when it comes to accomplishing one’s ambitions: the dreamers, who await safely for opportunities to come to them, and the fighters, who step out of their comfort zones to make things happen. At Her Campus, we love to see our girls strive to shine, and Natalie is the perfect example of that fighter who seized her chance.
It was her sister who stumbled upon an advert for The Face auditions on Twitter and sparked the idea of Natalie entering the competition. Very quickly, she surpassed thousands of aspiring models and found herself facing the show’s mentors: Caroline Winberg, Erin O’Connor and none other than Naomi Campbell.
”It was a massive shock – my mind was blank at that point!” Natalie recounts of this overwhelming yet thrilling moment. “All three mentors are my idols, so it was surreal that they all saw potential in me.”
Natalie joined Team Erin, as she felt a connection with the supermodel and felt that she really did care about her modeling. ”Getting to know Erin was amazing, and I’m still in contact with her,” Natalie says. “You really get to know your mentor and become so attached!”
The odds weren’t really in Natalie’s favour, as she was competing against models who were already signed to agencies when she had no experience in the modeling industry. However, Natalie still managed to stand out by winning the first masterclass. She was lucky to be awarded with designer clothes, and it was definitely one of the highlights of her time in the competition.
Undeniably, it wasn’t all easy, as Natalie found it tough to adjust to this environment whilst being entirely cut off from the outside. “What was the most challenging was not being able to contact my family, friends or boyfriend back home,” she says. “You’re being filmed 24/7, but you need some time to yourself. All you want is to let off steam to a familiar voice, not a camera!”
Thanks to The Face, Natalie’s modeling career has taken a kick-start. She is going to participate in more model castings, she has been booked in for a few modeling competitions, and she has been in contact with a few agencies. It’s nice to hear that she has also maintained contact with her mentor, who has been of a great help.
Nonetheless, Natalie stays grounded and continues to lead her student life here at Bournemouth Uni, saying ”my degree is still really important to me, so modeling is put on hold until my exams are over”.