'Tween 12 and 20 by Dr. Robert Wallace

DR. WALLACE: I'm 16, and my dream is to become a fashion model. I've already graduated from "charm" school, taken singing lessons and I'm taking a public speaking class at my high school. I'm 5 feet 4 inches tall and still growing. I'm told that I have all the qualifications to be a top model. I plan to contact a modeling agency sometime next year when I will be in the 12th grade. Is there anything else for me to do while I'm still in high school to help me reach my goal? - Lana, Santa Barbara, Calif.

LANA: Former fashion model Kate Tuttle suggests that you contact several department stores in Santa Barbara and volunteer your time to model the latest fashions that will be sold in early spring. It would be an enjoyable way of getting some experience in the field.

To become a fashion model, a candidate must meet rigid standards, one being a minimum height of 5 feet 8 inches tall in stocking feet. If Mother Nature keeps you from reaching your goal of being a fashion model, you can model clothing for large, nationwide stores in their catalogs and newspaper advertising. Continue to follow your dream. Models who have achieved their goal became successful by virtue of dedication, hard work, proper training and a degree of talent. I'm a firm believer that every teen should set a goal and work towards achieving it. Even if the goal becomes impossible to reach, good opportunities will arise presenting new goals to be achieved.

TELL DAD TO SAVE HIS TIME AND MONEY

DR.

WALLACE: I got into a fight with some dude I thought stole my physical education T-shirt, and I gave him a fat lip. It happened after school about two blocks from school. The next day our assistant principal called me into his office and suspended me from school for three days. The other boy wasn't suspended at all because I was told that I was the aggressor.

My dad is really upset at the school and wants to sue the assistant principal because the fight took place away from the school and the guy I fought was a thief. I think that I was treated unfairly. If we don't sue, what should we do? The dude says that he didn't take my P.E. clothes, but my cousin heard that he did. - Duke, Brooklyn, N.Y.

DUKE: Tell your father to save his time and money if he decides to make your suspension a legal matter. A school has authority over its students not only on campus but as they travel to and from school. In your case, the suspension was justified.

If you thought this boy stole your physical education uniform, you should have contacted an administrator to sort out the problem. Your parents are always welcome and encouraged to talk with school personnel if they have questions about the administrator's ruling. Rarely does fighting solve a problem — it usually just compounds the problem.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at rwallace@galesburg.net. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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