Three local young models may be on the verge of breaking intostardom after appearing in national magazines and catalogues.

Katie Cutrer, 18, of Osyka, will appear in the prom editions ofSeventeen and Teen magazines. The magazines are due to hit thestands in January.

Cutrer also has numerous photos in the Anna Scott Designscatalogue, which is distributed nationwide to retailers sellingprom dresses. The catalogue has already been released.

“I’ve just been on cloud nine about it,” Cutrer said. “I can’timagine people seeing me from all over the world. (Scott Williams,co-owner of Anna Scott Designs) said for sure I was in those two,there may be others. It’s very exciting. I never thought I would bein a national magazine.”

She said it almost didn’t happen because when Williams firstasked her to pose in the prom gowns after meeting her in the lobbyof hotel during a fashion show, she had school commitments.

“At first I turned him down,” Cutrer said.

Although she really wanted to do the photo shoot, Cutrer saidsaid couldn’t afford to miss any more classes at Copiah-LincolnCommunity College. She is a freshmen biology major specializing inpremed.

Hurricane Katrina helped solve her dilemma when the storm passedthrough Mississippi, causing extensive damage and canceling classesat the college. The class cancellation allowed her to stay for theshoot, she said.

The shoot was the first time Cutrer had been provided her ownprivate hairdresser and makeup artist.

“I was excited just about that,” she said.

Kendra King, 19, of Monticello, and Ashley Palomarez, 18, ofBrookhaven, are likely to appear in WOW! Prom, a catalogue offormal wear by that company. The WOW! Prom catalogue is scheduledfor release this month.

King and Palomarez attended a September photo shoot in Atlantafor WOW! Prom. The catalogue’s co-owner, Jim Ball, has told themthey will likely be featured because sales representatives areusing photos of the girls to sell the dresses to retailers.

“That’s a promising sign,” King said. “I feel honored he askedme to be in it. It’s a good career move.”

The most exciting aspect of modeling for her, King said, isworking closely with the designers.

“I think, maybe, I want to pursue a career as a designer,” theCo-Lin business major said.

The 2005 Lawrence County Miss Hospitality is off to a goodstart.

While modeling for WOW! Prom, King said she showed sketches ofher designs to Ball, who intends to use one of her sketches as partof a future pageant line.

Palomarez, a 2005 graduate of West Lincoln Attendance Center, isbusy pursuing her career as a model while honoring her commitmentsas Miss Mississippi Latina 2005. She recently placed in the topseven at the national Miss Latina competition in Cancun,Mexico.

Palomarez now lives in Jackson and was unavailable forcomment.

Heather Blissett, co-owner of Susan’s Shoppe, helped get thegirls their first professional modeling jobs.

“We introduced them to the designers and they took it fromthere,” she said.

The catalogue appearances are major career advancementopportunities for the three girls, Blissett said, makes themcertified professional models. They can no longer compete inamateur modeling competitions.