Miss America 2004 Ericka Dunlap and her husband Brian Kleinschmidt,  both UCF alumni, participated in the latest season of The Amazing Race, which premiered Sunday on national television.

Kleinschmidt, who graduated with a radio/television degree, said he studied past seasons, learned to drive a stick shift and  exercised constantly to prepare for the CBS reality show.

He said he has always wanted to be on the show, which, according to its Web site, features teams of two racing around the world for a grand prize of $1 million.

Accordiing to Kleinschmidt, the entire process was very last minute, but he and Dunlap managed to get their papers in on time.  Now that they are back from the competition, they are excited to finally watch the series and plan on taping it.

Both Kleinschmidt and Dunlap said their experiences at UCF played a crucial role in what they are doing now and what they plan to do in the future.  An Orlando native, Dunlap credits UCF with “helping me to discover who I was — who I am today.” 

“Being at UCF shaped a lot of who I am now,” she said.

While attending UCF, Dunlap, who graduated with an advertising and public relations degree, was a member of Delta Sigma Theta, a sorority that she said helped her become “the best person [she] could be.”  She was also involved with President’s Leadership Council, a professional group that she said equipped her with many of the tools necessary to succeed in the professional world. 

Dunlap said she had many influential professors at UCF, but her public relations professor Dr. Tom Morgan, was supportive of her before and after the Miss America Pageant. 
Lyman Brodie, associate dean for the College of Arts & Humanities at UCF, has also had an impact on Dunlap’s life. 

“Dunlap has always exhibited a passion for learning and lifelong achievement,” Brodie said. “She has never been afraid to try something new, investigate new opportunities and carve out something from nothing. She truly embodies all the characteristics that we want in a UCF graduate — integrity, scholarship, community, creativity and excellence.”

Now that the taping of The Amazing Race is over, Dunlap plans to sing country music in Nashville, Tenn., where she and Kleinschmidt now reside.

Kleinschmidt said meeting Dunlap was the best thing from his experience at UCF. The couple met their freshman year at a Lead Scholars meeting, but did not start dating until after they graduated.

Kleinschmidt, who is originally from Tampa, also said “being out on [his] own,” was a valuable aspect of his college experience.  He said his most influential professor was Dr. Jay Brophy, a psychology professor who “made [learning] fun.” 

Kleinschmidt and Dunlap finished 10th at the end of the first leg of the race, according to CBS’s Web site.