Yellowknife (Dec 12/03) - After a week and a half of phone tag, Yellowknifer managed to connect with Kiera Kolson.

It must be said though that the Grade 12 student at St. Patrick high school is a very busy person.

Kolson recently won a scholarship through Chan International Model and Talent Agency in Edmonton. She also has a Canadian Aboriginal Youth bursary for post-secondary education.

She also plays volleyball and basketball, she bowls, and she coached the St. Pat's 16 and under girls' team for the Spike It tournament.

Oh, and she's waiting to hear back from the cultural selection committee for the Arctic Winter Games because she has applied to sing in Fort McMurray in the new year.

"I'm crossing my fingers, and a lot of my friends are, too," she said.

"I love to sing Patsy Cline. I won first prize in a karaoke contest once singing Crazy."

The former Caribou Carnival princess (2000) may like to act, and writes songs and poetry in her spare time, but she also follows politics.

"My friend thinks I'm going to be the first woman aboriginal prime minister," she said.

"But I wouldn't mind being a chief."

When she was at an Assembly of First Nations meeting last week, she said people kept introducing her as the next chief.

Kolson was walking through the West Edmonton Mall with her mom last August and decided on the spur of the moment to pay the $29.95 for a photo shoot at the agency.

Later she got a letter in the mail telling her she had qualified for a $900 scholarship towards courses at Chan in Edmonton. The scholarship was originally set to expire in March, but she worked it out with Chan to take their acting course next summer.

Kolson has modelled before for Karen Wright-Fraser of Whispering Willows.

"I have the most respect for Kiera," said Wright-Fraser.

"She's a very strong young woman and she's going to go far. She has real leadership capability and she's not shy to speak her mind."

It's not like Kolson has her heart set on modelling, or acting for that matter. Her goal is to attend Grant MacEwan College in Edmonton and become an addictions counsellor.

"I always wanted to do something to help other people," she said.

Kolson admires counsellors, and finds inspiration in the way that one person can have a huge positive impact on someone else's life.

So if the modelling or the acting or even the counselling career doesn't work out, Kolson will still be happy she tried.

"No matter what, just go for it," she said. "Don't listen to other people when they say you can't do something. Because you can do anything you want if your heart is set on it.

"Just because you come from a small town doesn't mean you can't succeed. Look at Leela Gilday. Look at Jordin Tootoo. Maybe one day you can say 'look at Kiera Kolson.'"