barbizon

They’re
in the
By earning the titles of Ms. and
Mr. Barbizon, Meredith Masteller
and Joey Rodriguez are staring
at a wide open future

When Joey Rodriguez and Meredith Masteller showed up separately to the most recent IMTA convention, they were two young and talented aspiring models and actors who were simply hoping for any break, or some doors to wedge their feet into. By the end of the convention, they shared the prestige and notoriety of one of the biggest IMTA honors—Mr. and Ms. Barbizon.

 

Pageantry magazine: What school or training center did you attend as a Barbizon student and how long were you a student?

Meredith Masteller: I attended Barbizon Avanti in Raleigh, North Carolina. I have attended since June of 2009. So it will be a year this summer. I graduated in November of 2009. Joey Rodriguez: I attended the Barbizon school in Schaum-burg, IL called Barbizon Royal Chicago. It was about 30 minutes from where I lived. I attended for four months starting in August and each class was from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday mornings.

 

PM: What do you feel you have learned about yourself after the training?

MM: After my training I feel like I have learned many valuable lessons. I have learned to become more confident and that hard work does pay off.

JR: Not only did I learn how to walk like a model and develop my training for acting but I also gained a lot of confidence as well as discipline because I learned more about the business and the competition that comes with it.

 

PM: What field are you pursuing as talent?

MM: I am mostly pursuing modeling but I also enjoy acting. In my training I have learned that modeling and acting go hand-in-hand and if I have an opportunity to do acting I will pursue it. JR: Currently, I’m pursuing both modeling and talent but focusing

more on acting because it’s what I like to do and acting makes you an all-around better person. You get to experience what it’s like to be someone that you’re not. Although it’s challenging and also very competitive, it’s something that I look forward to doing every day.

 

PM: What do the titles of Ms and Mr. Barbizon mean to both of you as representatives of all the schools? MM: Being Ms. Barbizon means that I am the face of Barbizon schools everywhere. It is an honor to be Ms. Barbizon and I hope that I can make my director Nell Sutton and Teresa Womack of Barbizon of Raleigh proud. JR: I couldn’t believe that I had won Mr. Barbizon! I was meeting with agents on callback day and my phone started vibrating. When I answered it and was told that I won Mr. Barbizon my jaw just dropped and I couldn’t believe it. It meant a lot to me, as well

BARBIZON’S BEST The grueling selection process for Mr. Barbizon came to a close when Joey Rodriquez (left), impressed Pageantry Art Director Angel Anthony Mendez and Barbizon International Vice President of Marketing Wendy Cleveland with an excellent portfolio and interview. PHOTOS BY ROBERT ROSAMILIO/DIGITAL EVENTS PRODUCTIONS