Kuzmich was the twelveth contestant selected to be on Cycle 9. At the beginning of the competition, some of the other contestants bullied Kuzmich, making fun of her "awkward" behavior and talking about her behind her back. However, Kuzmich later reported that "they didn't make fun of me that much" and that the show's producers chose not to broadcast more "civilized" exchanges. According to Kuzmich, she has always wanted to model. Initially, she was hesitant about trying out for the show but finally agreed to do it after a friend convinced her to watch Cycle 7.