Flashback: 'Come on Nicky, don't keep crying'
She was blood insecure. That is why ex-Miss Netherlands Nicky Opheij (23) often burst into tears as a teenager. The fact that she won Hollands Next Top Model in 2014 is partly thanks to her 'practice' teacher from the architecture course at ROC De Leijgraaf in Veghel.
Picture: Fred van Diem
“Ski instructor or model. That's what I said when the 8th grade master asked what I wanted to be later. The class started to laugh, the teacher replied, "Ski instructor, nice." I was a tough girl who loved go-karting and building huts, but because I was tall and thin, I sometimes thought: could I become a model? After I said that, the bullying started. Nicknames focused on my long neck: nekkie, ostrich, giraffe. One day a popular girl in a crowded auditorium asked loudly what kind of crazy socks I was wearing and when I would get boobs. I ran away crying. During VMBO I remained an easy victim for bullies. It was only at the ROC in Veghel that I managed to make a new start.
I often felt insecure in class
Ronald Jacobs taught me how to work wood and how to make tables and benches. My parents had a construction company; I was fine with drawing and I was able to hammer well. But in class I often felt insecure and then I cried. A teasing comment from the boys 'Nicky, you have your hair in your curl today' could go wrong. Mr. Jacobs would then give me a mini-session. 'Come on Nicky! You can't keep crying. Then people think you're a wimp. ' He listened and gave me the push I needed.
You are most beautiful when you are yourself
During a class excursion to Amsterdam I was scouted by two casting agent from a modeling agency. Mr. Jacobs advised me to discuss it at home and reassured me. As the winner of Hollands Next Top Model, I was honored on a catwalk in the auditorium and literally carried into the school by the boys. They were very proud of 'their Nicky'.
After that I hardly got any modeling work, because I had no standard model sizes. After three years of unhappy life and dieting, I retrained myself as a weight consultant and won Miss Netherlands 2017. To encourage young girls, I wrote 'On a mission', a book with advice and recipes that focuses on that you are most beautiful when you are yourself. Exactly what Mr. Jacobs wanted to convey to me. ”
Ronald Jacobs
Ronald Jacobs (43) is a practical education teacher at the ROC de Leijgraaf in Veghel: “Nicky was a cheerful student who sometimes entered the practice room in heels. Because yes, she had to practice! Sometimes she came out sobbing for a little something. I advised her to stay true to herself. For our team it was a party when she won Holland's Next Top Model. We are very proud that she became Miss Netherlands afterwards. ”
