The first time Amy "Amis" Jenkins was in the bottom two as an America's Next Top Model tenth-season finalist, she didn't want to be booted because she felt like she had more to prove.

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However the second time she found herself there, the 20-year-old waitress from Bartlesville, OK "really felt like it was okay."

"As time goes on in the competition, you feel differently towards things," she told reporters during a Thursday conference call.  "I was starting to just kind of feel over it a little bit -- not in a bad way -- but I felt like I was just this underdog.  I sucked at everything!  Sometimes that motivates people -- but for me -- I don't want to be a loser so sometimes I feel like I just kind of don't even get in the race."

Jenkins became the third contestant eliminated from America's Next Top Model's tenth season during Wednesday night's broadcast of The CW reality series after being criticized by the show's judges for not taking the competition seriously.

"I do think that the judges remarks were pretty dead on.  They're absolutely right that I wanted to go on the show as an experience and an adventure," she explained.  "But I don't feel like that necessarily means I didn't take it seriously.  I wanted to win and I really wanted to succeed and do well in the competition just like everybody else.  But the difference in me and the other girls was I didn't think it was important to sacrifice and compromise having a good time just to show that I'm determined.  I should have been able to balance that.  Maybe I didn't do a good job of portraying that."

Jenkins' lack of seriousness was on full display several times during the competition, including when she woke-up only 20 minutes before leaving for the judging panel that saw her ouster.

"I've always had problems waking up.  For me it was like, I could get ready super-quick," she said.  "You actually have some waiting time during the judging -- like before you go on.  I really don't know why everyone was so angry with me.  Your actions do speak louder than words, and watching it, it did kind of represent a laziness the other girls saw in me."

Making matters worse, once Jenkins did wake-up she threw on a hooded sweatshirt, jeans and a headband -- not exactly a high-fashion look the judges expect to see at panel. 

Jenkins subsequently defended her outfit with the judges by claiming when she gets nervous, she tries to "cover it with being campy or goofy."  In addition, she told the judges she thought she looked "cool."

"Looking back, I have no regrets about anything.  I'm proud of myself in a lot of ways when I watch episodes because what are you going to say when someone's critiquing you?  I had to say something.  That's my style.  Sure, maybe it wasn't professional," she told reporters. 

"When I think about the whole thing in retrospect, earlier that week they had us prancing around in fireman costumes!  So it's hard to really take some of the things seriously within the show because the circumstances half the time are a little bit jumping through hoops and let's be a little campy.  It's a TV show.  For me, maybe I didn't have the right balance of when it's okay and when it's not."

Jenkins was also accused by fellow Top Model tenth-season finalist Fatima of being a "joke."  Fatima also questioned if modeling is what Jenkins really wants to do.

"The footage probably showed me butting heads with Fatima the most.  It's mostly just because I feel like we misunderstood each other a lot of times," explained Jenkins. "I'm not really hateful or bitter to anyone.  Made more friends than enemies for sure."

Because the girls are already under so much stress, according to Jenkins, she tried not to bicker with any of the girls at all costs.  She added her personality helped her get through stressful times while also admitting it may have served as a crutch too.

"I feel like my personality helped me tremendously," she said.  "I think my personality definitely helped me to that point and I probably did rely upon it a little too much, just because I was so new to everything.  I feel like my personality helped me, definitely to get into the house."

Jenkins said how she got into the house was a "long story" -- and she wasn't kidding.

She was living in Chicago for school last year but had to move back home to Oklahoma over the summer because she was "poor" and her boyfriend had broken up with her.  However since she wasn't in school and had no job in Oklahoma, she was "miserable."  So she went to a Top Model casting call in Topeka, KS with her family, which she described as a "standard audition" that also put a local spin on the competition.

"It was kind of like a beauty contest," she explained. 

Jenkins was subsequently chosen to attend a Chicago audition, where she had another interview and met the casting director.

"I was able to make a really good impression," she said, eventually landing a spot on the show.  "It's been a really crazy journey since August."

Jenkins real first name is Amy, but since Top Model's tenth season featured another finalist named Aimee, Jenkins said she switched her moniker to Amis.

"I'm probably just going to go back to Amy for a convenience thing because nobody else really calls me Amis," she said before adding, "I can respond to it, for sure."

After being in the competition for only a week, Jenkins found herself in the bottom two during the first judging panel.

"The first time I was in the bottom two, it really affected me.  You can see I'm tearing up and crying," she recalled.  "It's kind of sad to say, but that was one of the most intense -- most hard moments -- of my life.   You think it's silly because it's a reality show, but it's our live.  It's our lives that are being captured.  It's a goofy show but those are real emotions.  It really affected me.  I tried to take it and use it as determination."

During the conference call, Jenkins was asked about recent reports that the Top Model tenth-season cast and crew caused $500,000 worth of damage to the New York City loft they called home.

"I have no idea about that.  I had no clue that was an issue, honestly," she said.  "People asking me in interviews is just how I've kind of learned about it.  I have no idea.  When we were there, it didn't seem a problem."

As for what's next, Jenkins would like to go back to the Big Apple but said it's "just too expensive."

"Right now, I'm moving back to Chicago -- I'm going to live with my boyfriend -- and hopefully try some different opportunities out there," she said.  "I don't have anything concrete so I'm just kind of hoping something will fall into my lap."
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio

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