Growing up in the public eye, Caitlin Brunell realized at a young age that being a role model is a responsibility to be taken seriously. As the daughter of a professional NFL player, she learned from her parents the importance of setting a good example and the benefits of giving back to your community. As Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2008, Caitlin now has the opportunity and the national platform to make her own mark!

Representing the Commonwealth of Virginia, Caitlin Brunell won more than $30,000 in college scholarships at the Miss America's Outstanding Teen Competition in August 2007. The "little sister" to the Miss America Scholarship Organization, this not-for-profit program has made available more than $2 million in college scholarships nationally to young women from 13 to 17 years of age. The title has given Caitlin a nationwide vehicle to promote causes that are important to her.

Currently a 16-year-old sophomore at Trinity Christian High School in Fairfax, Virginia, Caitlin has long been involved with the family's Brunell Family Foundation, but is now branching out and making her own contributions. In 2006, she organized and founded "Caitlin's Closet" to help young women who wanted to participate in extracurricular school functions but couldn't afford appropriate attire. The charity collects and distributes party, homecoming and prom apparel to young women in need. In the past year, Caitlin has collected and distributed over 5000 prom gowns across the nation and has caught the eye of Seventeen magazine, MTV and numerous national celebrities willing to help her cause.

As Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2008, Caitlin also has teamed up with the US Dream Academy, an organization that targets illiteracy in America's youth.

Caitlin loves spending time with friends and family, especially swimming, skiing, and shopping! She's been dancing since she was three years old and dreams of performing on Broadway and even winning a Tony Award. She's also an accomplished model who has appeared on the covers of Pilates Style, Savvy and Fourpoints magazines.

Caitlin lives in northern Virginia with her family, which includes three younger brothers (Jake-13, Joseph-9, and Luke-6) and her parents, Mark (quarterback for the New Orleans Saints) and Stacy.

You can learn more about Caitlin at www.maoteen.org or www.caitlinscloset.org.

Contact: Kathryn Kenemuth, Director of Operations, 407-375-4087,
Kathryn@MAOTeen.org
Updated May 2008
 

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