When Lusk residents turn their TV sets to NBC on July 17, they might be surprised to see a familiar face on the screen. Local model and actress Renae Marker will be getting a chance to be seen on the popular Today Show. This opportunity will be part of a broader experience for the budding female performer. Between July 15 and July 21, Marker will be putting her talents on display at the International Modeling and Talent Association (IMTA) Convention in New York. Consisting of competitions in dancing, modeling, acting, and songwriting, the event will expose Marker to a larger network of talent scouts and would-be celebrity seekers.  Simply attending the convention is an impressive feat in itself. Marker is one out of a thousand people from Europe, Asia and the United States that is getting this opportunity. Needless to say, big opportunities stipulate big investments of time and effort. Marker stated that she is already investing herself fully in preparations for the convention.  "I'm practicing a lot," Marker said. "I'm practicing my stances on the runway. I'm adding some little quirks to my monologue and cold read. I'm just getting as much practice as I can get." Making contact with an agent is one of the chief objectives that Marker hopes to see fulfilled during the trip. The young performing artist believes that the crop of agents to whom she will be exposed could potentially boost her promising career. According to Marker, the possibility of attending the IMTA Convention emerged during conversations with her present agent.  "I was talking to my current agent and, somehow, the subject of New York came up," Marker said. "He started telling me that there was a big event going on there. It just suddenly piqued my interest a lot. The moment it was mentioned, he wanted me to go there with him because he is absolutely certain that something big will happen there." Marker credits her present agent with being the driving force behind her upcoming opportunity in New York.  Of her agent, Marker stated, "He's an amazing individual. He says that I am number one on his list all the time when we're talking about New York. He has a lot of connections with a bunch of different agents up there. So, he has a lot of confidence in me and sees some opportunities that he can bring to me in New York." Marker is certainly no stranger to such competitions. In November 2016, she competed at the Model and Talent Expo in Dallas, Texas. Marker earned First Place for her delivery of a monologue and Second Place for her strutting her stuff on the high fashion runway. Since then, Marker has showcased her talents at several other events in Denver, Colorado. No doubt, the experience fined at these events will be put to use during Marker's upcoming New York sojourn. The younger performer will be competing in seven different contests. These include a cold reading, a monologue, and a walk along a high fashion in the middle of Times Square.  Times Square is not the only sight that Marker expects to see in the Big Apple. According to the youthful artist, she also anticipates becoming acquainted with the scope and grandeur of New York. "There's just so many things that I am looking forward to," Marker said. "Lady Liberty, the Empire State Building… I am just so beyond excited for all of it."  To be sure, New York offers more than a few sights and sounds for anyone to remember. However, for Marker, the crescendo of her upcoming New York trip will be her appearance on the Today Show. According to Marker, this prospective experience is one of which she knows the least of what to expect. "I have no idea what all is going to go down," Marker said. "But, I am excited either way." Given how experientially distant such an opportunity is from her everyday life, Marker has decided to approach the Today Show as a veritable tabula rasa.    "What I've decided in my mind is that I am going to start fresh," Marker said. "I am just going to go in as a clean slate when I get there. I'm obviously going to take some of my knowledge with me so that I am not clueless, but I'm going to kind of go with the flow." Clearly, acting constitutes a sizable portion of Marker's career. Cold readings and monologues inhabit a prominent place at the events she competes in. Yet, acting certainly is not foreign to Marker. She first got bit by the acting bug when she was in fifth grade. Portraying a pirate in a grade school production of Black Beard, Marker soon learned that she had the ability to move audiences.  "There was so much adrenaline pumping through me when I got up on stage in front of all of those people." Marker said. "I got to be that character. The audience believed that I was that character."  Like any good thespian, Marker has her own list of influences. Her greatest inspirations are Sandra Bullock, Drew Barrymore, and Jennifer Anniston.  "I feel that they put their heart into every role they play in," Marker said. "That's something that I really admire and something that I hope to live up to." Of course, acting and modeling are extremely competitive fields. Marker is not ignorant of this harsh reality. Nevertheless, she expresses gratitude having been able to make it this far. While Marker is not sure where the journey will end, she stated that she will enjoy every mile of the ride. "It's a tough business to stay on top in," Marker said. "There will always be someone who is younger and more enthusiastic than you. It's an inevitable thing. But, for as long as I can, I do plan on continuing with this because I enjoy it. I enjoy it a lot and I always have so much fun with it."