CHARLES CITY - A 47-year-old resident of Floyd County will be among the cast on "Survivor: Gabon" this fall.

Susie Smith of Charles City is one of 18 contestants who competed in the latest season of CBS television's hit reality series. The season begins Sept. 25.

In her biography on the CBS Web site, Smith is described as the daughter of Mexican immigrants who were field workers. She worked alongside them in the fields at a young age. Her bio also describes Smith as "bold and brassy with a huge zest for life."

Smith is a hairdresser, but also teaches English to non-English speaking children in kindergarten through eighth grade. Her husband, Todd, has been a Charles City police officer for 25 years. The couple has one son, Trent, and two dogs.

Smith graduated from the Marshalltown Cosmetology School and North Iowa Area Community College.

Gabon is in on the equator along the Atlantic Ocean on Africa's west coast.

Contact Mary Pieper

at mary.pieper@globegazette.com.