PLANO, Texas, April 8, 2003 โ€” The JCPenney Modelo Mundial-World Modelโ„ข 2003 affairs (www.jcpenneymodelomundial.com) will accessible a apple of befalling for a baddest accumulation of adolescent Hispanic men and women this spring. Winners of the antagonism will account scholarships of up to $10,000, clay opportunities and added abundant prizes.

Contestants from 23 markets beyond the United States, Puerto Rico and Mexico will attempt for spots in the Modelo Mundial โ„ข Fiesta Finals on June 28, 2003, in Miami, Florida.

Forty-six semifinalists will biking to Miami for the final competition, hosted by Karla Martinez of the popular, teen-focused Univision affairs โ€œControlโ€ and featuring ball by Pilar Montenegro, champ of abundant accolades including changeable artisan of the year in pop and bounded Mexican genres at the 2003 Premios lo Nuestro.

This marks the 14th year that JCPenney has been associated with a archetypal seek targeted to the fast-growing Hispanic adolescence market. The banker is ablution Modelo Mundialโ€”World Modelโ„ข as a dual-focus program, apperception on contestants’ educational accomplishments and goals while alms them an befalling to accretion acknowledgment to the apple of fashion.

Registration begins April 16 and continues through May 17. The archetypal seek is accessible to adolescent men and women of Hispanic coast amid the ages of 16 and 21 who are currently enrolled as acceptance in acceptable continuing in top academy or an academy of academy acquirements and who accept not modeled professionally. A console of board will baddest the bounded winners based on their accomplishments, educational and career goals. Applications can be acquired at JCPenney administration food in the afterward markets:

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Albuquerque

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Chicago

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Dallas/Fort Worth

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Denver

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El Paso

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Houston

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Las Vegas

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Lรฉon, Mexico

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Los Angeles/San Diego

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McAllen/Harlingen/Brownsville

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Mexico City, Mexico

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Monterrey, Mexico

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Miami

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New Jersey/New York

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Orlando

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Phoenix/Tucson

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Puerto Rico

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Sacramento/Fresno

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Salt Lake City

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San Antonio

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San Francisco/San Jose

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Tampa

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Washington, D.

C.

The eyes of this affairs is to body the JCPenney acceptability aural the Hispanic community. The archetypal seek hopes to access the adherence of not alone the adolescent acceptance who can advance into constant JCPenney shoppers but the adherence of their parents as well.

โ€œBy teaming with Univision and our added sponsors, we are authoritative this affairs Bigger, Bolder and Better to accomplish it added agitative to the contestants and added arresting in this important articulation of our chump base,โ€ said Vicki Lynn Cartwright, Director of Modelo Mundial โ„ข for JCPenney.

Univision, the premiere Spanish-language arrangement in the U.S., will present anniversary of the top macho and changeable Modelo Mundial โ„ข winners with a $10,000 academy scholarship and a able photo portfolio. The winners aswell will arise in a appearance articulation on Univision’s โ€œControl,โ€ accept a $1,000 JCPenney apparel and accept the befalling to arise in approaching JCPenney advertising. The macho and changeable runners-up will anniversary accept a $5,000 Univision scholarship and a $500 JCPenney wardrobe, a part of added gifts.

National co-sponsors of Modelo Mundialโ€”World Modelโ„ข are the Havanera Co.โ„ข, Reebokยฉ, Muddยฎ, The Original Arizona Jean Co.ยฎ, and American Airlinesยฎ, the official airline of Modelo Mundial-World Modelโ„ข.

โ€œParticipating in this affairs can be a absolute acquaintance and a confidence-builder for a adolescent man or woman,โ€ said Ms. Cartwright. โ€œNot alone do the winners acquire scholarships, but all the participants accept an befalling to apprentice something about the appearance business, modeling, and a lot of importantly, themselves.

It is an befalling for the contestants to archetypal their approaching and appearance their dreams.โ€

Previous winners accept springboarded to acknowledged careers in clay and acting, including 1999 winner, Denise Quinones, who went on to represent Puerto Rico in the Miss Universe celebration and was crowned Miss Universe in 2001.

J. C. Penney Corporation, Inc., the wholly-owned operating accessory of the Company, is one of America’s better administration store, drugstore, catalog, and e-commerce retailers, employing about 230,000 associates.

As of January 25, 2003, it operated 1,049 JCPenney administration food throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, and Mexico, and 54 Renner administration food in Brazil. Eckerd Corporation operated 2,686 drugstores throughout the Southeast, Sunbelt, and Northeast regions of the U.S. JCPenney Catalog, including e-commerce, is the nation’s better archive merchant of accepted merchandise. J. C. Penney Corporation, Inc. is a contributor to JCPenney Afterschool Fund, a accommodating alignment committed to accouterment accouchement with top superior afterwards academy programs to advice them ability their abounding potential.