102 PROFESSIONAL WOMAN'S MULTICULTURAL MAGAZINE WWW.PROFESSIONALWOMANMAG.COM Ibeejti!ibt!pgufo!eftdsjcfe!ifs!gpsnbujwf!zfbst! boe!fyqfsjfodft!bt!ejgdvmu!boe!xjuipvu!nvdi!hvje- bodf/!Gspn!opu!voefstuboejoh!ifs!cpez!jo!ifs!fbsmz! years (and even being hospitalized with toxic shock syndrome at one point) to living in her car during her uxfoujft-!Ibeejti!ibe!up!mfbso!b!mpu!bcpvu!mjgf!gps!ifs- self, something she wants to spare the youth in her program. Along with life skills, they are also learning about the entertainment and media industries and how to navigate the business of bringing people joy. "We're showing them. We're giving them the blueprint-they're talking about their experiences so far-how much they've grown and learned. I'm just excited for them. I'm a big believer in Whitney's song, Greatest Love of All -! Ibeejti! tibsfe! xijmf! reciting the lyrics, like a poem and a motivational speech. "It is my mantra. Every month, we say this honey! So, that's what I'm trying to do, and I see it. I see them growing. I see their whole demeanor, their whole energy, changing. I know they are my future. People who know where I come from are about to be svoojoh!uijt!cvtjoftt-!boe!ju!kvtu!mmt!nz!ifbsu!vq!xjui! so much joy."
About Her Business
So, what comes next for the woman who has tubssfe! jo! bu! mfbtu! pof! qspubcmf! cmpdlcvtufs! fwfsz! zfbs! gps! uif! qbtu! wf! zfbst-! opx! uibu! tift! beejoh! producing credits to her acting accolades? "Director," she said immediately. "And then we'll go for my doctorate because I want people to call me Es/!Ibeejti-!tif!dpoujovfe/!J!kvtu!xbou!up!ifbs!qfp- qmf!dbmm!nf!Es/!IbeejtiJ!xpvme!qspcbcmz!hfu!ju!jo! communications. A doctor of communicating; I love it." Cvu!uibut!opu!bmm/!Ibeejti!bmtp!qmbot!up!qvcmjti! more books in the future. "Yes, there will be another cppl!dpnjoh-!tppofs!uibo!mbufs-!Ibeejti!benjuufe/! "There's three books coming. One is a memoir that picks up where Black Unicorn left off. There's a mid- dle-age/YA teen book coming and a children's book." Each book is very different and has a unique focus that you might not expect. "The children's book jt!bcpvu!vojdpsot-!Ibeejti!tbje-!boe!bcpvu!cfjoh! comfortable with yourself. The YA book is about my experience going into high school, or junior high I tipvme!tbz/!Boe!uif!nfnpjs!jt!bcpvu!uiftf!mbtu!wf! years." "I really focus mostly on adults. I'm a grown up. But I do realize that these kids need something too, and I love them. They love me. I work well with chil- dren, and they're my future. So, I want to give them something that's going to bring them up-it's books I wish I could have read when I was a kid." Ibeejti!jt!gpdvtfe!po!vtjoh!ifs!fyqfsjfodft-!mft- sons and unique brand of funny to give the industry a better tomorrow. Ultimately, it's her goal to help people overcome the same obstacles that she's had to face, to build the futures they want and experience life with dignity. She wants everyone to know that it all starts with you. "I want [people] to know that it is important to love zpvstfmg/!Zpv!ublf!dbsf!pg!zpv!stu!boe!uifo!ublf!dbsf! of everybody else. Don't ever feel guilty for that."
COVER STORY
PHOTO BY JOHNNY NUNEZ/WIREIMAGE PHOTO BY TODD WILLIAMSON/GETTY IMAGES PHOTO BY EMMA MCINTYRE/GETTY IMAGES FOR NETFLIX
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