A Chula Vista native is celebrating her title as Playboy's Playmate of the Year for 2013.
Raquel Pomplun, who appeared as Miss April alongside Grammy-award winning musician Bruno Mars, was named 2013 Playmate of the Year at the iconic Playboy Mansion Thursday.
The magazine describes her as its first "Mexican-American" Playmate of the Year.
“Playboy has taught me a side of myself I didn’t know before," Pomplun said in the official announcement.
Her work with Playboy was the first big modeling gig for the Chula Vista native, who visited NBC 7 to discuss the April cover. Watch video
Pomplun went to Bonita Vista High School before attending Southwestern College and University of Phoenix. The cover girl also plays soccer and has trained in classical ballet.
She said in a statement that she hopes to finish her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and help stabilize the decaying environment, while continuing to live life to the fullest.