Heather Kuzmich (born April 19, 1986) is an American fashion model. She lives in Chicago, Illinois, where she is studying video game design. She is best known for being a contestant of America's Next Top Model, Cycle 9, in which she was the ninth eliminated. During the show, it was revealed that Kuzmich has Asperger syndrome. Personal life Kuzmich was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome when she was fifteen years old (mistakenly reported as thirteen by Tyra Banks on ANTM), around the time her father died. She has stated in interviews that it wasn't the easiest time in her life. Living with Asperger syndrome, Kuzmich has stated that she struggles with approaching people and communication skills. Kuzmich is a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Participation in America's Next Top Model Kuzmich was one of the final five contestants on America's Next Top Model, Cycle 9. At the beginning of the competition, some of the other contestants bullied Kuzmich, making fun of her "awkward" behavior and talking about her behind her back. However, Kuzmich later reported that "they didn't make fun of me that much" and that the show's producers chose not to broadcast more "civilized" exchanges. According to Kuzmich, she has always wanted to model. Initially, she was hesitant about trying out for the show but finally agreed to do it after a friend convinced her to watch Cycle 7. Kuzmich's journey began when she was the 12th woman called to participate in the final 13. Early on, she was deemed to be the underdog of the competition, but this changed when she excelled in the photo shoots. At week five in which they had to pose as fashion gargoyles, Kuzmich was called late because the judges critiqued that she only took "profile" shots. With that critique the next week, while the girls had to portray recyclable material (Kuzmich wore aluminum cans), she gave all her shots face forward, causing the panel to be blown away by her stunning features. The next week, while filming a music video for Enrique Iglesias, the artist was so taken by Kuzmich's haunting looks that he picked her and fellow contestant Lisa Jackson for featured roles, where both models were praised and were the first two called at elimination. Eventually, Kuzmich's strong portfolio could not compensate for her Asperger syndrome, which began to affect her when having to communicate with others. During week nine,