JOHN ROBERT POWERS PLEASANTON SCHOOL FOR ACTING AND 

MODELING PLACES ALUMNI IN TOP MODELING COMPETITION   

 San Jose Sixteen Year Old Kingston Nguyen Wins Modeling Runway Competition in 

Las Vegas and is Scouted By Top Modeling Agencies   

 (July 7, 2009 – Los Angeles, CA) – A Vietnamese young male model, Kingston Nguyen 

won several top modeling awards at iPOP! 2009 in Las Vegas last week.  The modeling 

competition attracts the top agencies in the United States and Asia all looking for their 

next supermodel.  By the look of things, local bay area resident Kingston Nguyen could 

be who the modeling agencies want to sign.  Kingston took top honors in several 

divisions at iPOP! including Runway, Print and Swimwear and was 1st runner up for 

Model of the Year.  Over one thousand teenagers were also vying for these awards.  

Kingston took agency meetings with Next Models San Francisco as well as the stalwart 

Wilhelmina Agency based in New York as well as with several Asian modeling agencies.  

Kingston could easily be doing modeling work in the states as well as abroad.   

Kingston got into the international competition by accident as he went to the Pleasanton 

John Robert Powers school to support his half-sister who was auditioning.  The president 

of John Robert Powers franchise, Ron Patterson, noticed Kingston immediately and told 

his mother that he needs to go to Las Vegas and audition at iPOP! in front of the top 

modeling agents.  Kingston did just that and what a success it turned out to be. 

“I was so amazed to see how natural and poised Kinston was at such a young age.  I love 

his look and think he’s going to do very well in modeling and I’m very happy for him and 

his family,” said John Robert Powers president, Ron Patterson.   

John Robert Powers is an internationally recognized acting and modeling school system 

with locations throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia.  John Robert 

Powers provides every student with the schooling, guidance, and confidence to further 

their individual potential and to reach their highest career goals.  John Robert Powers 

actors and models have appeared in national commercials, television shows and films 

such as Levi Strauss & Co., Dr. Pepper, Revlon, Apple Computers, Target, Chevrolet, 

American Idol, Desperate Housewives, Bedtime Stories and Hannah Montana. 

JOHN ROBERT POWERS OFFERS iPOP! LAS VEGAS WINNER COLLEGE 

SCHOLARSHIP  

 Ron Patterson, Chairman and Owner of the John Robert Powers Franchises 

Establishes College Fund for Russian Orphan   

 (Los Angeles, September 18, 2007) –When Ron Patterson, Chairman and President of 

John Robert Powers took the iPOP! Awards Stage last July in Las Vegas the audience of 

3,000 talented children and teen singers, dancers, actors and models and their parents 

were expecting Mr. Patterson to announce winners in several iPOP! categories. The 

audience was touched to hear Mr. Patterson start talking of a young 8 year-old girl and 

her mother who he had personally met in Scottsdale, Arizona in March 2007 at an iPOP! 

audition.  Apparently, Mr. Patterson learned from the young girl’s mother that this child 

was found roaming the streets of Moscow alone at the age of three.  She was sent to an 

orphanage in Russia and was eventually adopted by an American family and brought to 

live in Phoenix.  While Mr. Patterson was sharing this story a little girl in the iPOP! 

audience named Yana Smith leaned over to her mother, Debbie Smith and said, “Hey 

Mom, I am from Russia too.”  At that moment Ron Patterson asked Yana and Debbie 

Smith to come up to the stage where he not only presented Yana with a special iPOP! 

acting award but then proceed to tell Yana and her mother Debbie that he would be 

establishing a college scholarship in Yana’s name in the amount of $20,000.  Needless to 

say there was not a dry eye in the audience from that moment on. 

When Debbie Smith was asked her about that very special evening in Las Vegas last July, 

she had this to say, “To be honest with you, Yana and I were shocked Mr. Patterson even 

remembered meeting us at the iPOP! audition in Scottsdale last March.  There must have 

been at least 300 children that auditioned for him that day.  I remember Mr. Patterson 

telling Yana how interesting he thought she was and then I told him about her story of 

living in an orphanage in Russia for the first three years of her life and how my husband 

and I adopted her.  That was pretty much it.” Debbie recalled. “When Mr. Patterson 

asked Yana and I to come on stage that night, I thought oh boy, I haven’t even showered 

or put on my make-up.  When he announced Yana’s scholarship fund I just about passed 

out!” exclaimed Debbie Smith. “I don’t think Mr. Patterson has any idea how his 

generosity has truly affected my family’s life.  We are forever grateful.”   

In 2003, Debbie Smith and her husband, Kevin were living in Phoenix and already had 

three children Preston (13), Laura (8) and Ryan (6). That summer the Smith family 

agreed to host two young orphaned boys from Russia named Ethan (14) and Jacob (11) as 

part of an exchange program.  Within two weeks Debbie and Kevin Smith knew they 

wanted to adopt the boys.  After discussing it with their children and the Russian boys 

everyone agreed it would be “totally awesome” to put it in the words of the all the 

children.   

Debbie and Kevin began the adoption process only to learn that Ethan and Jacob also had 

a three year old sister named Yana who was still in the orphanage.  The Smiths had no 

intention of splitting up the family so they decided to adopt Yana as well.  Four years 

later the Smiths now have six children ranging from sixteen to eight years of age and they 

couldn’t be a happier family. 

Since attending iPOP! Yana has jumped head first into the acting business and has 

already been signed by the prestigious Brown Leader Management in Los Angeles.  Yana 

will be making the rounds in Hollywood auditioning for upcoming films and television 

shows. 

Ron Patterson couldn’t be more thrilled with Yana Smith.  “To me,” Ron Patterson 

recently said, “it just doesn’t get any better than this.  I met Yana in Arizona and could 

just tell there was something very special about this young girl.  When I met her mother 

and was told about Yana’s journey I was so touched by Yana’s courage and the 

unconditional love that the Smith family had for Yana and her brothers.  I am so fortunate 

to be part of John Robert Powers and iPOP!  Nothing satisfies me more than to see 

children such as Yana be given an opportunity to live a happy and meaningful life.  If she 

continues to pursue acting I will be glad and if she chooses something else that will be 

wonderful as well.  John Robert Powers and iPOP! just want to give children such as 

Yana the ability to pursue their dreams.   

International Presentation of Performers, iPOP! is the successful merger of fashion and 

modeling with the music and entertainment industry, creating one of the largest and most 

well respected showcases for aspiring, actors, singers, models and dancers. iPOP! 

introduces new talent to perspective agents, managers and talent scouts while also 

providing a unique and intense workshop environment for young talent to learn their 

trade from top professionals in their fields.   

John Robert Powers is an internationally recognized school system with locations 

throughout the United States, Europe and Asia.   For over eighty years, John Robert 

Powers has been training students in acting, singing, dancing, modeling and etiquette.  

Emphasizing personality development, John Robert Powers provides every student with 

the schooling, guidance, and confidence to further their individual potential and reach 

their highest career goals.  Famous alumni thru either the school or the John Robert 

Powers agencies include First Ladies,  Jackie Kennedy and Betty Ford, Princess Grace of 

Monaco, Raquel Welch, Lucille Ball, Ann Margaret, Diana Ross, Faith Ford, Josh 

Duhamel, Janice Dickinson, Ryan Locke and Nikki Taylor.