Oriole Beach has two 'American Girls'
Fourth graders model for American Girl catalog
BY VICI PAPAJOHN Gulf Breeze News vici@gulfbreezenews.com

Cayla Ephraim, 9 and Rachel Taylor, 10, were selected as models for the American Girl catalogue.

Oriole Beach Elementary students Rachel Taylor, 10, and Cayla Ephraim, 9, are true American Girls. Not only do they like apple pie and baseball, they have appeared as models in the current American Girl catalog.

Both girls responded to a call to audition in Seaside for the catalog, and beat out some stiff competition. "There were hundreds of girls there," remembers Ephraim. "I thought it was really fun and cool to go to the tryout."

When the two classmates were invited back for subsequent calls, they said it was even more special to share the excitement with a friend. When the final call came to let the girls know that they were chosen for the job, Ephraim remembers thinking "Well, this is the big day and I am so happy that I am a model and I have the opportunity to do this. And I was even more excited to see Rachel there, too."

Taylor remembers being surprised to be a finalist, and says "There were a lot of people there and I didn't think I'd get through and was so happy when I did."

Taylor appears on the back cover in a beach chair on the beach. The catalog scenes were shot at a local school, on the beach and at a conference center. Taylor is thrilled her picture also appears on the American Girl web page. "I'm sitting there and Mattie was on the arm of the chair I'm sitting in!"

Cayla Taylor (top) and Rachel Ephraim (bottom) on the pages of the American Girl catalog. The girls modeled in Seaside.

Both girls thoroughly enjoyed the catalog shoot, and the excitement surrounding being printed on the pages.

"I would really like to keep modeling," Ephraim says, "and one day to go to Hollywood and be an actress."

Taylor agrees with an emphatic nodding of her head and a huge smile. Hollywood is the ultimate goal.

"I was not allowed to spend all the money," Ephraim says. "I did get to buy a Nintendo and the rest I put away into my college fund."

Taylor says she put all of her money into savings, but says the real payoff has been the fun of surprised friends and relatives who see the catalog and want to know what it was like to model.

"American Girl is going to put up some full-size posters, and my mom's friend in New York is looking out for us. It would be so funny to see that."

When queried how their fame has affected their home lives, both young models agree that siblings are a little harder to impress.

"Bianca is tired of hearing about it," Ephraim says with a giggle of her 15-year old sister.

Taylor quietly just replies, "Well Madison is 13 and I think she's happy ... and irritated."

Catalogs are still available and the girls may also be in the upcoming spring catalog. They remain big fans of the product, and both girls own American Girl Dolls they received as Christmas presents last year. Taylor owns a Jess doll (American Girl of the Year) and Ephraim owns a "Just like Me" doll she named Crystal.