YupRGs@TheAcademy

I was raised in the excruciatingly uncomfortable. I'm awkward in pop culture and still trying to figure it out. Now I act. #GetYoBlackCard


We were outcasts, us in New Orléans East. My dad hustled and I mean hustled. He sold everything, even Jordans. My stuff was Goodwill and Macklemore wasn't a thing. When my dad brought them home, my heart dropped. What was I gonna do with knock-off Jordans? 

Growing up I was nerdosity city. #Awkward. I tried to teach myself how to twerk. Didn't know what tweezing was. Saved off my eyebrows. Had a secret boyfriend called Tug Boat. Somewhere along the way became the beard to a gay guy at my high school. I was the least popular girl. That was his way of coming out. I infamously did not earn my black card!


I don’t do sob stories. I face truths. I’m an actor. I act. I believe we get to define ourselves very specifically. One day it hit me. If I don’t live my dreams, I will be bankrupt and have nothing to offer the world. Realizing you can make specific choices, that’s power.


LESSON ONE: Success isn’t based on your family’s accomplishments.

LESSON TWO: It's doable. Turn on the TV, instant proof. All actors face the same odds.


That was my clean slate from drugs, alcohol, and suicide. Suddenly I’m dreaming. I sell everything and move to New York. I do plays. Book off-broadway even. On the side, I’m shooting short films.


I get home one day after shooting for 12 hours, wanting to cultivate this beast. I roll over and apply to The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. I start my first term on January 4, 2020. AADA’s generously awarded me $14,000. I’m applying for 80K in scholarships on my own.


This campaign honors not only the steps it's taken to get me here but the path that's before me.