Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

NEW YORK -Audrey Sussmann, a two-year-old Filipina-American from Jersey City has been selected as a finalist in Gap’s nationwide search for the next faces of babyGap and GapKids.

Gap held casting calls in 38 cities and looked at more than 900,000 online entries in its search for adorable kids to feature in its next ad campaign.

A panel of judges narrowed the entries to five baby girls and five baby boys (ages 4 and under) and 5 kid girls and 5 kid boys (ages 5-10). Audrey is 1 of 5 finalists in the baby girl category.

Audrey loves dancing to The Wiggles and funk music. She also enjoys reciting some of her favorite books from memory (like Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar); imitating animals (Some of her more unusual ones are gorilla, penguin, peacock and porcupine) and singing nursery rhymes.

Her proud parents couldn’t be any prouder.

"Audrey has a ton of energy and is just so curious about the world," said Jennifer Sussmann, Audrey’s mother. "We’re excited that so many people will have a chance to see how fun she is."

 "We’re extremely happy and excited, most of all for Audrey," said Ross, Audrey’s father. "Between the trip to San Francisco and the enthusiasm of all our friends and relatives, it’s been so much fun for the entire family, and I know Audrey feels it, too."

Ross is a radiology resident at NYU Medical Center while Jennifer was a business writer for The New York Times and SmartMoney (under the byline Jennifer Bayot) before becoming an at-home mom to Audrey.

At the age of two years old, Audrey has become a bundle of joy for the growing family. Audrey’s parents got married in August 2004 and they are expecting another addition come July.

 "We met towards the end of my senior year of high school and dated through college (We both went to Yale. Ross graduated in 2000 and I graduated in 2002.), so we’ve known each other since we were teenagers," Jennifer said in an interview with The Asian Journal.

Both of them grew up in Jersey City, which they still call home to this day. Typical of Filipino families, doting grandparents volunteer to baby-sit the precocious Audrey.

Ross’s mom, Helen Caballero-Sussmann hails from Bulacan while Jennifer’s parents come from Manila and Iloilo.

Asked what type of food Audrey likes to eat, Jennifer beamed, "Nilaga is her favorite! She also loves tinola, pansit (but usually just the noodles) and pan de sal, and she ate lumpia for the first time this weekend."

As a finalist, Audrey received a five-day trip to San Francisco for a Gap photo shoot. Her photos from that shoot will appear in the contest’s online voting gallery http://www.gap.com/castingcall) from Dec. 8 to Dec. 21, so that voters can choose a winner in each category.

The four winners, to be announced in January 2009, will appear in Gap store windows nationwide and receive prize packages from Gap and Snapfish.

For more Audrey Pics visit her site at: Spunky Audrey

( www.asianjournal.com )

( Published on December 5, 2008 in Asian Journal Northern California p. A6 )