Somehow when I was 17, about 4 years ago now, my parents got a phone call from John Robert Powers saying they thought I could be a model and to come in for an audition. I am very tall and finally my parents convinced me to go. We went. Sat down and listened and listened to all these success stories of people we had never heard of then... The "auditon" began. Watching every child, some as little as 3 with most of the parents in clothing that signified that they were there because this might be their childs claim to fame. After I did a walk that I thought a model would do, they coated on the compliments and told me to sit and wait in another room. They then told all of us that we were chosen.
When my parents heard they cried. They sat my parents and I in a room and started pointing out all the things I would need to work on... And told my parents they could do it for me. Being Polish immigrants, we were raised on this "American Dream" and the lady who was selling was just digging into my parents. They told us we had to decide then and there what program we wanted. They chose the middle one which would cost around 10,000 which my parents did not have. They found every way to get my parents to pay.installments.
Dutifully, I went to my classes twice a week and started realizing what they were doing. A woman who claimed to have worked in the fashion world with many models was not showing us anything. Just kind of letting us do whatever we wanted. Teach each other. When we worked on make up application, My make up ended up being like a clowns. On top of that we had to bring our own cameras for "practice" photoshoots which were the kind you do at home in front of your mirror.
I finally had it and started researching the place that had cost more than my college education thus far (at 21). I showed my dad what I found. Although we made many attempts to get out money back, we could not. Even contacting a lawyer. Something needs to be done. There are so many children who's dreams are being crushed because of this company all across the United States. It breaks my heart to see it. My father is still paying off the debt incurred by that purchase of classes that did nothing but waste time. They even have posters in their office of actors and actresses and models that never went to JRP. I would do anything to go back to that day to tell my dad no.
Help!
0 comments