Several generations of teen-age girls have made “Seventeen” magazine part of their monthly reading. Jennifer Esterline is no exception.

The Lake Highlands High School senior recently reached new heights in her modeling career when the magazine announced that Esterline was selected as a national semifinalist in its Miss Seventeen Beauty Contest.

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“I had seen an announcement about the contest in the magazine and decided to send in my portfolio,” says Esterline, who has done local catalog and runway modeling for two years.

Officials of the contest, which was co-sponsored by JC Penney, told Esterline she had been selected, along with 399 other semifinalists, from more than 38,000 entries.

Although she wasn’t chosen as a finalist in the “Seventeen” contest, she learned several weeks later that she was again a semifinalist, this time in a national contest sponsored by New York City’s famous Ford Agency.

“It’s all been very exciting,” said the 5-8, blue-eyed blond, who says she looks like the girl next door.

Esterline’s 13-year-old sister, Elaine, who already stands at 5-9, is also modeling, and the two planned to spend time this summer in California with their family in an effort to break into the West Coast circuit, modeling for fall fashion catalogs. They are also negotiating with an agent in Milan, Italy, for possible print work.

Did mother Diane ever model?

“No, but she should have, because she’s very tall and very pretty,” says Jennifer, whose father, Bruce, is vice president of the Meadows Foundation. Brother John, 10, rounds out the family.

Esterline’s senior curriculum next year will include advance placement English, calculus, government and computer applications, along with continued participation in the choir and school plays.

Her modeling money, after allowance, is going into a savings account for college. She hopes to attend UCLA or the University of Texas.