Hinsdale Girl the Model for Next American Girl Doll

Rio Lewis is an 11 year old from Hinsdale, and she happens to be the model for the newest American Girl doll, Claudie!

If you know about American Girl dolls, you know each doll is it’s own character with her own backstory. In this case, Claudie is a 9-year-old girl from 1920s Harlem. The look and appearance of Claudie, though, was modeled after Rio!

Rio has been modeling for quite some time, and she had to submit a video and photos to be considered for the gig. If you watch the WGN News clip above, you’ll hear her explain how it almost didn’t happen…all because of her brother! She explains that it’s only because of the cancellation of her brother’s baseball tournament did she have the chance to go to her American Girl photo shoot.

You can learn more about Claudie and her inspiring backstory here.