Student balances modeling, school

As a student at UNL, a second-time model in Omaha Fashion Week and someone who genuinely enjoys everything from going to Renaissance Festivals to going to photoshoots, Gwyneth Talley has pretty much done it all. She's spent time studying abroad and will get the chance to visit Germany again this coming year. She currently holds five different majors, ranging from language studies, a program that she created and got approval for from UNL, to anthropology. Talley has become involved both on her campus community and outside her college world.

Modeling is one of her biggest time commitments outside of school. This year will be her second time appearing in Omaha Fashion Week.

"I'm going to be a model for five out of the six shows," she said. "But I also model at the UNL art department. Omaha Fashion Week is completely unpaid. The designers have to pay for their own creations. The money that you pay for the show gets put back into the show for the next year. We do it because it's fun."

Modeling, she explained, isn't always what everyone thinks it is. While she loves it, she admits it's not all fun and games.

"It's the waiting and then getting up and doing exactly what you need to do," Talley said. "It's hard work. It wears on you!"

Sabrina Jones, the finale designer for Omaha Fashion Week, agreed.

"A fashion show involves doing fittings and finding the best style for my model," she said. "Day of the show, I work with the salon and (Gwenyth will) get styled and she has practice in the morning. I'm the finale, so she won't go on until 10:30 at night — it'll be a very long day."

Yet, despite the modeling that plays such a crucial role in Talley's life, her coursework has always come first. With five majors and three minors, studying and modeling becomes a balancing act.

"I don't even know how I do that!" she laughed. "I take 20 credit hours pretty much every semester. I model on the weekends and at nights."

Talley, though she wants to pursue commercial and runway modeling in the future, knows the importance of her studies and pursues the same college experience that every student hopes for. Her favorite memory?

"There's so many!" Talley said. "I think just getting to know some of my friends through a class … We didn't really talk much until we decided to do a project together. We all just ended up being a great group to work with. We got a really great group of friends together, and then we all ended up going to the Renaissance Festival together."

Talley is someone who has actively pursued both the lifestyle of a student and the lifestyle of a model, and sometimes having one has had an impact on the other. When asked about the stereotypes surrounding models and if she worries about being taken seriously in the academic world, Talley became serious.

"I don't like the thoughts that go with it, like they're dumb and they don't eat."

It's difficult to believe that people can see one side of Talley and believe the model stereotypes, particularly because she has worked so hard at UNL.

"I have that problem a lot. So when I first meet people, that's never something I never tell someone right off the bat.

"When I meet people in the academic world, that's what I want to be known for."