Check Out Angelique Brenes’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Angelique Brenes.

Hi Angelique, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. My father was a well known public figure on the island, as a journalist who was the editor of a magazine called “TeVe Guía” and was also one of the main faces of a television show called “Anda Pa’l Cara,” which later turned into “Dando Candela.” My mom is the strongest person I know. She’s an essential worker at a Kaiser Hospital where she works as an angel, constantly helping others. She taught me everything about being a powerful and independent woman. So I was raised to have charm and to care about people.

My whole life, I yearned for something different and I really wanted to move out of Puerto Rico and into the U.S. Around when I turned sixteen, my mom and I moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, where I went to high school. It was really tough at first because I wasn’t used to people assuming I was stupid or incapable just because I was one of the few Latin students. Though it was hard to accept that everyone was constantly viewing me in a tainted light, I persevered and showed them how hard I could work and how good I could be. During my senior year of high school, my mom and I moved to Walnut Creek, California so it would be easier for me to transition into a University on the West Coast. You’d think the struggles with racism would end there, but they didn’t. My school counselor told me “Latin students don’t usually get accepted into Universities” and that I should think about only applying only to “community colleges,” mind you, I was an A’s and B’s student who only took Honors and Advanced courses. I later graduated and moved on to San Francisco State University. Though it was a great school, at the time I didn’t know what I wanted, so I ended up leaving school and moving to Los Angeles, California.

Even though I hardly knew anyone in Los Angeles, it felt like home. I found the right school for me, which was: The Los Angeles Film School. Where I got an Associate’s of Science in Music Production and a Bachelor’s of Science in Entertainment Business. It was an incredible school, with a wonderful program and all of the professors were amazing. However, from my first year of college we had found out my dad had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. By my second year of school, he passed away suddenly in Puerto Rico. My entire world fell apart, and it felt like things were constantly getting worse. I had lost my great-uncle two years prior, who was like a grandfather to me, and the same year we lost my dad, my grandfather (mom’s stepdad) also passed away. 2017 was a year of big losses for our family. I continued school because my father would’ve wanted that and I kept myself busy with internships and jobs. My dad always wanted me to follow in his footsteps, as he often spoke of the fact that I had all of his talents. Though at first I fought it, I later realized he had been right all along.

I’m currently happier than I’ve been in a very long time. I’m interning and writing as a “Writer at Large” for L.A. STYLE Magazine while also continuing my work as a Social Media Expert and Strategist and part-time model/influencer. I’m lucky to have my beautiful puppy, Mila, my supportive mom and brother here in LA, and my wonderful friends who have been with me through everything: Sasha Lopez, Arleth Arias, Yascis Romero, Trang Vo, Rowena Whitson, and Jesse Marx.

I hope everyone who reads this is aware that even if it gets hard, even after you’ve lost someone very dear to you, things can and will get better. It’s so important to deal with your emotions however way you can. Things really do get better. It gets easier as time goes by. Don’t let the pain of the moment define your life. You can find my group for Dealing with Grief in my links.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s been difficult, from facing racism and ignorance to later losing my father to cancer. If I’ve learned anything, it’s that even if others doubt you, you should still go after the things you want and prove to others that you can do anything you set your mind to. Being a Woman of Color (WOC) in America isn’t exactly easy, but it can also be a blessing, because you can be what inspires later generations of girls who look just like you. Lastly, for people who have experienced a significant loss, just know that it gets easier and better as time goes by if you are willing to ask for help. It can be: asking a therapist, family members, friends, whoever you feel comfortable with, just don’t think you have to do it on your own. That’s why I opened up my support group on Facebook, “Dealing with Grief,” for people to connect with others experiencing similar things and ask for support.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The first job I got while I was in college was as a Social Media Expert and it has turned into something I’ve found I’m very good at. I have various clients, from businesses to public figures who hire me to not only manage their accounts but to also strategize and grow their network. I also accidentally became an Instagram Influencer/model, and that’s been a lot of fun. I still do it as a part-time gig, where I try to help smaller brands get awareness. And last, but not least, I’m working as a “Writer at Large” for L.A. STYLE Magazine, which has been really exciting cause I’ve had my first articles published. My biggest hope and dream in life is to open up several animal shelters in Puerto Rico, and later around the world, so that there are no more stray animals suffering.

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My birthdays were usually my favorites because I would have both of my parents together, the rest of my family, and my friends also got to be there. Because the people I loved the most surrounded me, I was the happiest. One of the best memories I have is of my dad coming to surprise me at Disney World in Orlando, Florida, for my birthday. He had planned it with my mom, and I got to spend all of that time with them at Disney World, which was one of my favorite places growing up. If you still have both parents, or even just one, around please remember to tell them how much you care about them. People sometimes need to hear that you care, even parents.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://www.angeliquemarketing.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angeliquebrenes/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angeliquebrenes/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/angeliquebrenes
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4i7AFH5uJQZfLBaBVqsZDLykCgGEdusU
• Other: https://linktr.ee/angeliquebrenes

Image Credits:
The ones where I have the gray top and jeans, and the black top with the black and white background, and the one of me with my dog were taken by Noel Bass. The one in the white crop top and jeans, and the red bathing suit were taken by Trang Vo.