Christy Turlington wasn't a particularly keen student when she was of typical school-going age. But a good many years of blazing success as a model changed all that. She was at the peak of her golden '90s period when she took the plunge back into education. It seems she had found her long-awaited motivation to study. "It wasn't until I had the professional experience, had been living on my own, made the choice on my own, paid for my own education, applied, did all the work, and then I was ready," she told Glamour.
Turlington was 26 when she attended New York University for a degree in comparative religion and philosophy. This time, she went all-out nerd — front seat, good grades, et al. Besides the tuition fee — which, paid for by herself, probably helped keep her focused in class — there was also the obvious price to pay for being the Christy Turlington. Students didn't much bother her in class but (unbeknownst to her) used to follow her home, she recalled for The Gentlewoman.
That didn't deter Turlington from going back to school once again at 39. Alongside her balancing act in modeling, motherhood, and advocacy, she successfully graduated in public health from Columbia University. And guess what? Her voracious appetite for learning still isn't sated. She could do it all over again.
