Crystal Monte is a young, vivacious California girl. She grew up in Walnut, California, with her mom, dad, and younger sister. Monte and her sister are very close, and she has always done her best to lead by example. She is naturally kind, very gentle, and a lover of beauty and harmony.

Growing up, Monte was a high achiever in school, and she enjoyed participating in extracurricular activities such as dance, choir, and community service. She loves being in the spotlight, but she never imagined that her strong, outgoing personality would lead her to a career in the entertainment industry.

This Mexican-Italian-Russian beauty has always been the tallest of her peers, and because of this, everyone always said she should become a model. However, she stayed grounded, knowing that her education was her first priority.

After finishing high school, she moved to Orange county, to the college town of Fullerton. She served and tended bar at a restaurant in downtown Fullerton to help pay her tuition. She majored in child development, worked full time, and yet still was able to volunteer for AmeriCorps' Jumpstart Program where she worked with preschool children from low-income families. Through this experience, she developed a passion for teaching early childhood education. She hopes to achieve her dream of one day owning her own pre-school.

After receiving her bachelor's degree, Monte decided to give modeling a whirl. She found an agent, did a few small gigs, and then landed a coveted role on "Deal Or No Deal," all within a couple of months.

Monte's friends and family have been unbelievably supportive through all of her endeavors, and she holds them in her highest regard. In her spare time, she enjoys the company of her loved ones. She also enjoys curling up with a good book and her cat, Beans. She loves to travel, create art, go to the beach, and rock out to live music.

In the future, Crystal plans to return to school to work towards a master's degree. For now, she's just living her life to the fullest. She is extremely excited to be #22 on "Deal Or No Deal" for another season, and she plans to enjoy every waking moment of it. Be on the lookout for this bright, shining star!


Questionnaire

1. How did it feel when you found out you'd been selected as a Deal or No Deal model? What excites you the most about being on the show?
I was sooo unbelievably stoked when I got the word! It was the best news I had ever received in my life. Being on the show is so rad; there's never a dull moment. The girls are beautiful inside and out, the producers are so cool, the wardrobe crew is awesome, the hair and make-up people are great, Howie rules, the P.A.s are dope, and everyone else involved in making this show possible are simply wonderful. Most importantly, I must pay tribute to our fabulous contestants. They make the show so exciting, unique, and entertaining.

2. Do you have any previous experience with modeling or show business, and if so, what was it?
I modeled for Guess' website for about a year while I was in college, but I didn't officially pursue modeling until after I graduated. What is cool about it is that everything happened in about a month. I got an agent, got a few small jobs, and then I landed Deal or No Deal! It is a dream come true!

3. What was your most embarrassing moment on the show?
While doing the model march, I was a little backwards. As soon as we landed in our places on stage, I failed to realize that my case was facing the wrong way. We all had a good laugh, and then we had to do the march all over again. Whoopsie! (Insert your dumb model joke here.)

4. What do you like doing most with your free time?
I love hanging out with all of my wonderful friends and family, and my super cool cat, Beans. I enjoy reading, cooking, painting, drawing, and just plain creating. I love, love, love listening to music! Going to concerts is one of my favorite things to do. I also love being in the sun, whether it be at the beach, by the pool, in the desert, or wherever, so long as I am catchin' rays. When I am not modeling, I also work at a restaurant, bartending and serving awesome people in Fullerton! Oh, and I like to work out, too!

5. Where are you from originally?
I grew up in Walnut, California (not Walnut Creek up north), and then I moved to Fullerton for college, and I've been there ever since. And if I may, I'd like to make a quick shout out to all my wonderful friends in DTF (Downtown Fullerton), "Love you long time!!!"

6. What has been a particularly memorable experience in your life?
Bungee jumping off of the Bridge to Nowhere! So dope! I went with a couple of my really good girlfriends on a four-and-a-half-mile hike (each way) through the Angeles National Forest to the Bridge to Nowhere. It's an actual bridge leading to nowhere, in the middle of the mountain range, over a rushing river and tons of scary rocks. It was the most exhilarating thing I have ever experienced. I highly recommend it!

7. What is your favorite place to travel?
How could I pick only one place? I love big cities, small towns, mountains, deserts, beaches, forests, and whatever else nature has to offer. At some point in my travels, I really hope to go to a jungle and kick it with monkeys! There are so many places that I haven't been and would love to see and experience. You name it, and I'm there. Hopefully, in ten years I'll also have a masters under my belt, and then I can begin on my pursuit to open my own preschool.

8. What is your favorite sports team and/or favorite music group?
Oh, sweet music! I love sooo many different bands, but if I have to list a few, I'd say Radiohead, Broken Social Scene, Rufus Wainwright, The Arcade Fire, Beck, Wilco, Bjork, Coldplay, Justin Timberlake, Nada Surf, Guacqueros, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Scissor Sisters, Damien Rice, Fugazi, Grandaddy, Led Zeppelin, Sederra, Talking Heads, and of course, I must mention The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Bob Marley, and Sublime!

9. How tough is it to stand in place for the entire taping? Is there something like martial arts training for long-term smiling?
To be honest, I normally don't wear heels, so it takes some getting used to when we're on stage. Fortunately for us, we can rest our footsies and our faces during commercial breaks. As for martial arts training, it's totally not necessary. The trick is to just get up there, stand tall, and smile like you mean it!

10. What would you like to be doing next in your career?
I really want to go back to school to get my master's degree. Modeling is really fun, but I miss being in school. Crazy huh? If I could do both, that would be awesome, but education will always be number one in my book.