In never-before-seen photos obtained exclusively by, a doe-eyedposes for her first photo shoot as a chubby-faced teen in her native Ohio. Little did she know her dreams of stardom and marrying her teenage crush — Tom Cruise – would come true just 10 years later. 
 
 That fairytale has famously come to an end after Holmes, 33, rocked Hollywood with the bombshell she was divorcing her Mission: Impossible husband of almost six years. The two reached a divorce settlement less than two weeks later. 
 
 In the wake of the split, Celebuzz visited Holmes’ hometown of Toledo in an attempt to shed some light on how a once care-free, all-American girl became part of one of Hollywood’s most controversial couples. There, Holmes’ school friends broke their age-old silence, telling Celebuzz their thoughts about the famous duo. 
 
 Angela Domschot, a former classmate of Holmes at the $18,000-a-year private Catholic school, Notre Dame Academy, said that Holmes used to pray for Cruise — years before she ever met him. 
 
 “In religion class, when we were about 16, we would have to say prayers to keep a certain someone safe and out of harm,” she said. “Katie would say it for Tom Cruise. We did that every day, so she would have said thousands of prayers for him. 
 
 “She also had a secret picture of him hidden in the inside of her text books. It’s crazy to think she married him – it was her dream come true.” 
 
 Similarly, Kari Somo, 32, another old school friend, also remembers Holmes’ affinity for Cruise. 
 
 “Tom Cruise was always her crush at school, who she wanted to marry and end up with,” she said. 
 
 But seeing their old friend getting involved with Scientology was bizarre, according to Domschot. 
 
 “We were all shocked when she turned to Scientology, but when you’re besotted with someone, I guess you’ll do what they want,” she said. “Her dream came true… she got her fairytale ending, I guess.” 
 
 Aside from her unusual focus on Cruise, Holmes – who aspired to be an actress from a young age – is remembered for other things. 
 
 She was well-liked and loved to act, said Domschot, as can be seen in these never-before-seen photos of the budding starlet, above. As the pictures reveal, Holmes was very involved in school, be it clowning around in plays, dressing in wacky costumes or looking angelic and studious in her yearbook photos. 
 
 “Katie was popular at school but nice to everyone,” Domschot, now a Toledo police officer, said. “She was a very good person… athletic, really into the school plays, very hard-working. She was really nice and outgoing. Really smart – in all subjects – but not arrogant with it.” 
 
 That isn’t all. Said Domschot: “Katie had a rebel side too — she knew how to let loose. She’d get into food fights at school.” 
 
 And Somo recalls a particularly festive Holmes. “I remember her having the craziest Halloween costumes,” she said. “She once dressed up as Richard Simmons and David Letterman! 
 
 Her dating life, meanwhile, wasn’t as exciting. 
 
 “I don’t think she dated in high school,” said Somo. “Her parents were super-strict and Catholic, so it may have been hard.” 
 
 Holmes and Cruise managed to avoid their dream turning into a total nightmare on June 9, when they came to a quick divorce settlement — and agreed on how custody of their six-year-old daughter Suri will be shared. 
 
 Details of the divorce remain confidential, and the pair released a joint statement indicating they intend to keep it that way. 
 
 Said the two: “We want to keep matters affecting our family private and express our respect for each other’s commitment to each of our respective beliefs and support each other’s roles as parents.” 
 
 Celebuzz Single Player No Autoplay (CORE) 
 
 No changes are to be made to this player ||||| By Radar Staff 
 
 In the wake of Katie Holmes‘ split from hubby Tom Cruise, speculation is building as to who will be the next Mrs. Tom Cruise, and it just might be Yolanda Pecoraro. 
 
 Experts predict the 27-year-old Latin beauty will be the perfect match for the Mission: Impossible star because she’s a devout Scientologist — and the two dated in the past! 
 
 “Tom’s next marriage will be inside the church,” Scientology expert Margery Wakefield told the National Enquirer. 
 
 PHOTOS: Tom Cruise Reunites With Suri In NYC 
 
 A former member of the church told the Enquirer that Yolanda is a “Scientology princess, perfect for Tom,” both her parents were members and that she’s been taking Scientology courses since she was just 13 years old. 
 
 Yolanda lives in a modest Silver Lake, Calif. apartment and told the Enquirer, “Yes, I knew and still know Tom Cruise. And no, I’m not married or engaged.” 
 
 Andrew Morton‘s unauthorized Tom tell-all, Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography claims that Yolanda and Tom met at the opening of a new Scientology center opening in Spain in 2004 and that he fell head over heels for her. 
 
 PHOTOS: Tom Cruise Jets Out Of Mammoth Lakes After Wrapping Oblivion 
 
 In fact, there’s even a photo of Scientology head David Miscavige, David and Victoria Beckham, and Tom and Yolanda all together at a Madrid soccer game just one month later. 
 
 One source goes so far as to tell the Enquirer that Tom has paid for Yolanda to attend expensive Scientology courses at the Celebrity Centre in Hollywood! 
 
 And even though Yolanda lives with a boyfriend, also a Scientologist, an insider claims the church will do whatever it takes to provide damage control to the very public divorce between Tom and Katie. 
 
 PHOTOS: Sad Suri Cruise Steps Out With Mom Katie Holmes 
 
 “With the embarrassment his divorce has caused the church, they want to stabilize the situation quickly,” the source said. 
 
 “They also want to show that Tom has rebounded fast and that his new wife is beautiful and steeped in Scientology. If the church decides to make Yolanda Tom’s next wife, they’d certainly want her to have a child soon. So she could quickly be going from her modest apartment to a mansion in Beverly Hills with a baby on the way. And there’s little doubt she’d do what’s best for the church.” 
 
 To get all the details on the behind-the-scenes matchmaking between Tom and Yolando, get the new issue of the National Enquirer on newsstands Friday. 
 
 RELATED STORIES: 
 
 Inside Suri Cruise’s Swanky New $40k A Year School: Uniforms, Weekly Mass & Latin Classes! 
 
 Bendy In The City! Suri Cruise Sparkles In Red Leotard At Gymnastics 
 
 Katie Holmes & Suri Cruise Not Hurt After Garbage Truck Hits Their Mercedes In NYC 
 
 
 
 Tom Cruise Video Chatting With Daughter Suri ||||| “Ultimately they want to get Suri indoctrinated to lose her affection for her mother and go out of communication with her.... They might also try messing with Katie's career behind the scenes with lies and false propaganda.“ 
 
 Miscavige Hill is still scarred from the Scientology upbringing.“I was allowed to see my parents only once a week at best — sometimes not for years,” she said. 
 
 Holmes filed for divorce in a surprise move last week and is making a bold play for sole legal custody in a reported attempt to block Suri’s indoctrination. She also moved into a luxury building in Chelsea — part of her escape plan — while Cruise, a devout Scientologist, was filming a movie in Iceland. 
 
 The dark-haired beauty has also hired a new security team. Holmes, 33, put on a brave face Wednesday, beginning her Fourth of July festivities a few blocks from her new home with a mother-daughter trip to buy fixings for a feast. 
 
 “I’m all right — thank you,” the actress graciously told The News in her first public words since dumping the “Mission: Impossible” star. 
 
 She spoke to The News while pushing a shopping cart carrying Suri through Whole Foods in Chelsea. Holmes casually strolled the aisles and tossed ground beef, hamburger rolls, strawberries and bananas in her basket. 
 
 “She’s not going to hide,” a source close to Holmes told The News. “She’s going to live her life.” 
 
 Bill Bramhall/New York Daily News 
 
 Hours later, her father Martin Holmes, popped up at the same store to buy paper plates and plastic cups. 
 
 “She’s doing all right,” he said of his daughter. “We are doing okay.” 
 
 While Katie Holmes appeared upbeat, Cruise remained downcast. Her stealth divorce filing in New York last week left the Oscar-nominated actor “deeply saddened,” his rep said in a statement. 
 
 Cruise flew home to Beverly Hills on Tuesday and marked the milestone of his 50th birthday with a “somber” gathering attended by his teenage kids Connor and Isabella. Suri spoke to her dad by phone, a source told People. 
 
 The heartbroken Hollywood hunk has reportedly begged Holmes for a reconciliation meeting. 
 
 “She was talking to Tom on the phone up until last week saying, ‘I love you,’ ” a source told People — even as she was finalizing details of the bombshell breakup.With Edgar Sandoval 
 
 mlysiak@nydailynews.com ||||| By Radar Staff 
 
 Could Scientology’s most famous ambassador be parting ways with the church? 
 
 A shocking report in the new issue of Star magazine, which hits newsstands Friday, details recent twists in Tom Cruise‘s life that’s spurred speculation the Days of Thunder star might be inching away from the controversial institution he’s become synonymous with. 
 
 “Tom hasn’t admitted that he’s definitely leaving Scientology for good,” an insider says of the new developments. “But he’s distanced himself from those in the church and has been hanging out with good friends who aren’t part of the religion.” 
 
 PHOTOS: Katie Holmes Steps Out Without Wedding Ring 
 
 Sources say an introspective Tom, 50, is weighing the damage his affiliation with the controversial church has done in his relationships with ex-wives Katie Holmes and Nicole Kidman, as well as ex-girlfriend Penélope Cruz. 
 
 “Tom’s been leaning on friends who have different perspectives, getting advice on moving on from Katie as well as on everything he’s been going through with Scientology,” the insider said. “He’s finally seeing that being such an advocate for Scientology hasn’t served him as well as he’d hoped — he’s gone through three divorces, and his public perception has sunk to an all-time low.” 
 
 PHOTOS: The Many Homes Of Tom Cruise And Katie Holmes 
 
 And if that didn’t provide enough food for thought, the Mission: Impossible star is pondering what impact his devotion to the cause might have in his relationship with his only biological child, Suri, who Katie holds primary custody of. Tom has shown to be a very devoted father to Suri in the past, setting up some difficult decisions to make if the church drives a wedge between he and his daughter in the future. 
 
 For more on these shocking developments, check out the new issue of Star magazine, on newsstands Friday. 
 
 RELATED STORIES: 
 
 Ex-Scientologist: Tom Cruise Chose Religion Over His Daughter With Katie Holmes 
 
 Katie Holmes Appears Relieved As News Breaks Of Divorce Settlement 
 
 Katie Holmes Fired Tom’s Daughter Bella From Her Clothing Company 
 
 Katie Holmes Is Making ‘All The Right Moves To Escape Scientology,’ Says Former Celebrity Recruiter ||||| By Radar Staff 
 
 Katie Holmes orchestrated her escape from Tom Cruise and Scientology with surgical precision, and RadarOnline.com has all the details on the bold move that has dropped Hollywood’s collective jaw. 
 
 “Frankly Katie escaped,” a source told Us magazine, who reported the Dawson’s Creek star put her name on a New York apartment in mid-June with the split in mind. “She felt she had to get out to save her daughter.” 
 
 Katie’s slow-moving severance from all things TomKat was likely brewing much sooner, as she had stopped going to three-times-a-week Scientology classes more than 18 months ago; distanced herself from Cruise’s sister Lee Anne DeVette; and RadarOnline.com confirmed she fired her team of (mostly-Scientologist) employees — “so she wouldn’t be spied on,” a source told the magazine — in recent weeks. 
 
 PHOTOS: Tom Cruise & Suri Enjoy The Day At Disney 
 
 One sticking point of the doomed marriage, Us reported, was that Katie didn’t get along with Tom’s daughter Isabella; and believed thought Tom should make his 17-year-old son Connor “focus on school, and not allow him to pursue a DJ career.” 
 
 Another source told RadarOnline.com parenting differences regarding Suri fueled Katie’s motives to break loose from the star of Top Gun. 
 
 “Katie and Tom also have very different parenting views,” the source said. “Katie wants Suri to go to school with other children and have a grounded routine whereas Tom doesn’t, he wants her schooled in the same manner as Connor and Isabella were. Tom is nowhere near as strict as Katie is and doesn’t believe in disciplining Suri, whereas Katie believes that is important. 
 
 “Tom basically treats Suri as a little adult, however Katie treats her like a 6-year-old child, and that causes some major clashes over parenting style.” 
 
 Holmes filed for divorce last Thursday in New York, citing “irreconcilable differences.” She’s seeking sole custody of Suri. 
 
 Cruise — who’s currently shooting a movie in Iceland — has yet to file a response. 
 
 RELATED STORIES: 
 
 Eating Their Words: What Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes Said About Their Marriage 
 
 Holmes & Cruise Divorce: Katie Dumped Tom, Wanted To Step Out of His Shadow 
 
 Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes Divorce: She Will Have Primary Custody Of Suri 
 
 The Calm Before The Storm: Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes Kept Low Profile Prior To Split
– The Church of Scientology just gets creepier and creepier: Now insiders tell the National Enquirer that Scientology bigwigs will probably choose Tom Cruise's next lady friend, Radar reports. "Tom's next marriage will be inside the church," says one expert. The main contender is Yolanda Pecoraro, 27, whom Radar refers to as a "Latin beauty." A former Scientologist calls her a "Scientology princess," noting that she was raised in the church, and rumor has it she even dated Tom back in 2004—there's at least one photo of them together (with the Beckhams, no less), and Cruise supposedly paid for Pecoraro to attend Scientology courses at the Hollywood Celebrity Centre. She currently lives with a boyfriend, but that's no obstacle for the church—an insider says it will do anything to "stabilize the situation quickly," showing that "Tom has rebounded fast and … his new wife is beautiful and steeped in Scientology." More on the Cruise-Katie Holmes divorce: Cruise finally saw daughter Suri yesterday in New York, but didn't see Holmes, TMZ reports. Click to see video of the father and daughter, who hadn't seen each other in a month. A longtime friend tells People Cruise is "sad" but not "bitter" about the divorce. Another source says that when Holmes filed for divorce, he "was thinking, 'What did I not see?'" A young Holmes used to pray for Cruise every day, and had pictures of him hidden in her textbooks, a former classmate tells Celebuzz. "In religion class, when we were about 16, we would have to say prayers to keep a certain someone safe and out of harm," she says. "Katie would say it for Tom Cruise. We did that every day, so she would have said thousands of prayers for him." Click for more, including never-before-published photos of a teenage Holmes.