FTHS Grad Alyssa Campanella named Miss USA 2011

On Sunday, June 19, Alyssa Campanella's life changed forever when she was crowned Miss USA. The 21-year-old Manalapan native and Freehold Township High School graduate was the first runner up in the Miss Teen USA 2007 competition where she represented her home state of New Jersey. She represented California in the Miss USA 2011 contest, after moving to the west coast a year ago.

According to her Web site, Campanella is “not your typical Jersey girl but New Jersey is where she calls home.” She attended Freehold Township High School, making honor roll every semester, earning merit scholarships and graduating with a 4.0 GPA. She was an active member of the school’s drama department and would graduate high school one year early, receiving a scholarship to the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts in Manhattan.

Campanella began modeling at the age of 16, posing for a variety of fashion designers as well as romance and thriller novel covers. In 2009, she became the face of Wet 'n Wild Cosmetics.

She has a long record of volunteer service in the community. In 2005, she organized a UNICEF fundraiser that raised over $2200 for victims of Hurricane Katrina. She was also named an Honorary Unicef Ambassador in 2007. Today, Campanella raises awareness of women’s health issues including heart disease, breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

Campanella is pursuing a career in acting and modeling. She currently lives in Los Angeles and New York.

With her Miss USA 2011 victory, she advances to compete in the Miss Universe contest on September 12, 2011 in São Paulo, Brazil.