Rising Stars: Meet Stephanie Berenice Sandoval

Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Berenice Sandoval.

Hi Stephanie Berenice, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Purpose through pain.

I’ve been struggling over the last few weeks in deciding where to even begin. If you would have asked me thirteen years ago while I held my new baby girl at a young age after living what seemed like a lifetime of pain and abuse, I would have told you that you were crazy. I guess let’s start simply with my name, Stephanie Berenice.

I am a first-generation 29 years old of Salvadoran and Guatemalan descent. My pronouns are she/her/hers and I am a single parent of a beautiful thirteen years old girl named Heidy Berenice. You don’t need to be good at math to realize I had an early start, having my daughter when I was only 15 years old.

Growing up in Los Angeles can be daunting if you’re from the working class. My mother and father both immigrated here from Central America in hopes of giving their families a better life. Living paycheck to paycheck was not easy. We first lived in Midcity and then moved to South Central, where life really changed.

I faced many adversities growing up. Alcoholism felt the most insurmountable, which led to verbal, mental, emotional, and physical abuse. I also struggled with intense physical pain that dragged on for years, but we’re getting ahead of ourselves, we will get to that part of my story in a moment.

My parents divorced when I was very young and their separation created a ripple effect that radically changed my life forever. Soon after, my grandparents and godparents divorced leaving me in utter dismay. The world as I knew it was no more, and I still believe the actions of my caregivers unconsciously encouraged me to rebel.

My pregnancy almost felt like a death sentence at fifteen because I decided to keep my child. It created added tension and led to a larger rift within my family. Everyone overwhelmed me with what “other” options I had, or they tried their best to convince me that I would never amount to anything if I decided to follow through with the pregnancy. However, from the moment I saw the ultrasounds, I knew that life was not about me anymore. I felt strongly about not only bringing my child into the world but also raising my child because I had the responsibility to do so.

This decision was the pinnacle to my survival, I had found a new sense of purpose. I understood that the decisions I made going forward were not only going to affect me but also my daughter. I went to an all pregnancy school, found mentors, and dedicated myself to becoming more than just a statistic. I was fortunate enough to have mentors and teachers that made a huge difference in my life by showing me that I had the potential to shape my future and no one could tell me otherwise.

At 16, I was waitressing at Sweet Lady Jane in West Hollywood, attending highschool, and figuring out the responsibilities of being a new mom. I graduated with a 3.8 UC GPA and dreamed of becoming a lawyer. Those dreams, however, were put on hold as my health deteriorated. The pain in my abdomen that I had been experiencing all my life worsened. It became so debilitating that I would sometimes collapse and be unable to move. These sharp pains were accompanied with nausea, headache, fatigue, and an array of other symptoms that no woman should have to suffer through. I visited the emergency room so many times throughout my adolescence that I was considered a “frequent flyer”, someone that faked symptoms in order to seek attention. Some of the top doctors in Los Angeles were stumped. My tests came back normal, all of them! Cat scans, x-ray, ultrasounds, blood tests – you name it, I had it done.

This revolving door of hospital went on until finally one year a nurse practitioner paid close attention to my symptoms and told me, “It sounds like you might be struggling with Endometriosis but the only way to find out if you have this disease is through surgery”. At the age of 23, I was finally diagnosed with Endometriosis and was told I could possibly never have kids again. The infertility was only one part of it. It not only affected my mental health but also my romantic relationships for years to come. I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that there was no cure for this disease. On one side, I finally felt some relief, I finally had a diagnosis, I wasn’t crazy! On the other hand how was I supposed to learn how to cope with pain while supporting my child as a single mom? I, like many single moms, had no choice but to continue to work, but for me that meant working through the pain. Unable to cope with the hands I was dealt, I was forced to drop out of college.

Around the time of my doctor’s visits and prior to my surgery, a friend referred me to work for a catering company. At that time, I was pretty desperate to find something stable to support my child. I was a driver/caterer, carrying hotboxes that weighed 40-50 pounds, serving breakfast and lunch. It wasn’t until about three months into that role when I finally had my laparoscopic surgery and was officially diagnosed. In a short two weeks after that surgery, I was back at work, lifting the same amount of weight and it was unbearable. So unbearable I was getting ready to resign. A position at Youtube Space in LA opened up for a receptionist role and I got it! I was so excited but I knew absolutely nothing about the role, I was ready to learn all that I could.

In a short two years, I worked my way up from receptionist to an operations coordinator. During that time, I focused on training new employees, expanding the studios and creating the best experience for YouTube creators possible. They truly inspired me in more ways than I can put into words. Content creators are selfless, passionate, and creative! They share their learnings so openly so that others may learn from their mistakes. It just so happens that working for the Youtube Space in LA and connecting with content creators on a daily basis is what eventually inspired me to share my story for the first time.

I wanted to reach a broader audience of women so I started making videos with the hope of connecting with other women who shared my pain. I held nothing back! I spoke about the horror stories of my long journey of being misdiagnosed including the discrimination I faced and the countless dimissive doctors. When I posted my Endometriosis story, I expected nothing, and what I got was outstanding. I received an outpouring of messages that began to fill the comments on my YouTube, the inbox to my email, and social accounts. I was not alone, I had many messages from other women suffering from Endometriosis, depression, anxiety, and loneliness. The documentary I created was even used by the government of Barbados to shed some light on how many women are truly affected by this disease.

This disease is extremely lonely. You look completely normal on the outside, but what people don’t see on the inside is the excruciating pain day after day and month after month. I felt like there was no one who understood what I was going through until I finally gained the courage and shared my voice on these platforms. It connected me to other versions of my story all around the world. We call each other endo-sisters because that is exactly what it feels like – An unbreakable bond with a group of women you have never even met in person. It was in sharing our stories that we began to feel like we really can get through this “incurable” disease. As humans, we crave a sense of belonging and to be understood. For too long, I didn’t feel like I belonged anywhere. I felt like a burden, some might say a lost cause, and that I was unlovable. Through this pain, I found courage, strength, community, spirituality, and purpose. I was able to find myself.

I’m happy to give you my real introduction now that you have heard my story: My name is Stephanie Berenice, I am an Endometriosis advocate, bad ass mother and full-time employee at one of the world’s top leading entertainment companies, Netflix. Now again, If you would have told me at fifteen with the life that was in front of me that I would be working for such an amazing company, that I had found myself and created the path for myself that so many people doubted, I would have thought you were crazy. Where I’m at now seemed so unattainable because of what everyone else told me, the path they said was destined for a woman like me, how discouraged they made me feel! But look at me now, I have the opportunity to lead my family to financial freedom along with connecting and empowering women just like me with my story. This is for all the young ladies that think their life can be defined by one mistake, you’re wrong! You are more than your worst mistake, you are more than any negative thing anyone has ever said to you or about you. You have the power to pave your own path and life will continue, so should you too!

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an Experience Specialist with Netflix. Primarily focus on uplifting the employee experience during their time with our company but I now create fun/informative internal videos to move our business forward.

Most proud of my editing skills as this was a skill I picked up at the Youtube Space only to get to understand the creator’s struggle. Now I am editing some pretty big internal projects!

My energy and positivity set me apart from everyone else.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Being honest and taking responsibility for my actions I feel were most important to my success. As well as knowing when to ask for help!

Contact Info:

• Email: shopberenicedolls@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/berenice_dolls/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/berenice_dolls?lang=en
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA1FnIWVCk4MAVnR_vBPjAw