Kristen Michelle, petite beauty with big modeling ambitions, has spent the last eight years moving about the country.

Born in Cambria Heights, the 24-year-old left the borough as a high school freshman when her family decided to relocate to Illinois. But now, after a stint in Boston finishing up her college degree in sociology, Kristen plans to head back to her native city this spring and make a name in modeling.

Though she’s been gone for a while, Kristen said, "Of course, I’m still a Queens girl."

She found success as a model during her student days, working in runway shows for Boston designers. "When I was in school, actually, I had a friend who was like, ‘You should come and do this show,’" Kristen recalls. "And I did and I loved it."

And now she has signed on with Southeast Queens’ Black Cartel modeling group, and has already appeared as a runway model for show called "Sean Jean Friday."

As a newly minted college grad, Kristen also hopes her sociology degree will help her understand the subtle psychology of the fashion world. She said, "I think I really got an understanding of social psychology and marketing. I got to know what people want to see and how they want to see it, and I can incorporate that into what I do."

Those perceptive skills enable her to stay ahead of the game. "I love to wear trendy, urban up-and-coming fashions, things that are new that no one has seen yet," she said.

"Right now what’s hot is a punk rock girl look," said Kristen, a trend she has incorporated into her look. "We’re talking about arm bands, leg warmers, Kangol caps, fishnets, dark eye make up, a pompadour and bangs."

It figures.

The WB network launches its second season of a reality show that brings weird or washed up celebrities together in a house, and Queens is represented.

Porn star Ron Jeremy

Along with former evangelist Tammy Faye Bakker Messner, white rapper and one-hit wonder Vanilla Ice, former "Chips" actor Erik Estrada, ex-"Real World" cast member Trishelle and former "Baywatch" babe Traci Bingham, good old Queens porn star Ron Jeremy is featured on the second season of the show "The Surreal Life."

Jeremy, a Bayside native who graduated from Cardozo High School, is a short, hairy overweight porn star who has performed in over 1,600 sweaty, sexy pieces of video.

He is known as "The Hedgehog," and is now living with a bunch of weirdos in a house in Palm Beach for the country’s reality TV fiends. To make the show interesting, a celebrity guest joins the group each week to create mayhem, and the gang goes on strange field trips.

For example, in one of the first two episodes, Jeremy shows off his sexy bod during a pool party.

The question is, why would a guy whose porn career is going so well agree to be part of this insane show?

He said in a statement, "I did this because I was asked and because I thought it would be an interesting experience. I thought it would be a great way to mix it up, get to know myself and, uh, be on primetime!"

So now Queens has officially had representatives on reality television series "The Surreal Life," "The Restaurant," "Big Brother," and "Survivor."

Surreal!

Rush Job

All this talk about social promotion must have influenced NYPD brass to make a recent decision regarding the latest class of police recruits.

The department rushed 1,365 recruits to the street, graduating them from the Police Academy on Dec. 31 – before they had completed their training, insiders say.
Each was given a shield, assigned to a command, and sent to the street to help beef-up security for New Year’s Eve.

When the confetti cleared, we are told, the recruits headed back to classes at the Academy. After they completed required training, the recruits shined up their shields and donned NYPD blues to report, in some cases, to different commands than those to which they were originally assigned.

Police officials said the decision to rush the class to the streets was, in large part, influenced by the heightened terror alert issued by the Feds for the holiday season.

Split Personality   

Just when you thought City Councilman Allan Jennings was definitely one of a kind, it turns out you may be wrong.

Ever watch the Disney sitcom "Sister, Sister?"

If you have, you may notice that star Tim Reid looks a lot like good old Allan J.

While Jennings is busy responding to community complaints, Reid is producing and directing movies and can also be seen on repeats of "Touched by an Angel" and "Simon and Simon."

Although Reid has decided to spend most of his time behind the camera, perhaps he could give Jennings some pointers on what not to say in front of the camera, as many laughs were dished out at the expense of Jennings following his appearance on "The Daily Show."

Maybe Jennings and Reid could trade places for a day, just so Jennings can spend a little time out of the spotlight.

Confidentially New York . . .

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Queens NYConfidential is edited by: Michael Schenkler
Contributors:	Q Confidential is edited by: Michael Schenkler Contributors:Angela Montefinise, Steve Azzara, Ira Cohen, Marcia Moxam Comrie, Stephen McGuire,  Michael  Nussbaum, Azi Paybarah, Aaron Rutkoff, and  Shams Tarek