Louisiana Volume 1, Issue 5

LOUISIANA EDITION

AMPS MAGAZINE American Minority People Succeeding

Doctor James Boatner, III Pg. 6

High School Pg. 8, 10 Homecoming

Principal Dr. Eric Pg. 12 Davis

This issue’s model is Elecia Mateo.

She started her acting career in Pg. 20 ‘Black is the New Brown.’

Page 1 www.la.ampsmagazine.com

Been injured or caught in a bind.

Get Twine on the line.

ANTWINE Law Firm, LLC 637 St. Ferdinand Street Baton Rouge, LA 70802 Phone: 225.383.7800 Fax: 225.372.2810 antwinelaw@yahoo.com

Page 2

Personal injury and Criminal cases

contents VOLUME 1, ISSUE 4

What’s Inside...

I asked what kind of family Amina wanted. She said, ‘A family like yours.’

That’s when I knew I had to adopt her.

Denise, adopted 17-year-old Amina

Dr. James Lewis Boatner, III ..... 6 Richwood High School .............. 8 The Belton/Williams ................. 9 Carroll High School ................. 10 Principal, Dr. Eric Davis .......... 12 Caldwell Holiday Tourney....... 13 Shawnderrick Scott .................. 15

the AMPS Monroe Team

Publisher

Connie Morgan

Editor

Brittany Gardenhi

Contributing Photographer WELCHinc photography Connie Morgan

Graphic Designer Gerald Wright

LEARN ABOUT ADOPTING A TEEN YO U C A N ’ T I M AG I N E T H E R E WA R D

Cover Photo by Dalvin Adams

A D O P T U S K I D S .O R G

AMPS Monroe is a franchise of AMPS Magazine, a national publication, with headquarters in Orlando, Florida. This magazine is published bi-monthly.

AMPS MAGAZINE CORPORATE Orlando, Florida 33837 Page 317-426-7790

3

from the publisher T

A WORD FROM THE CEO This is the fifth issue of AMPS Magazine, Louisiana Edition. I wanted to thank each and every one of you for reading this magazine and making it one of the fastest growing magazines in the south for 2020/2021. We are touching the lives of people who we did not even know we would and inspire even a culture that we were unaware. This publication is called A.M.P.S. (American-Minority People Succeeding) for a reason. It is where Substance and Style meets Supreme Standards. Our mission is “superior application development through dedicated professionalism while maintaining a customer-centered focus to lead the industry in ideas and creative solutions”. Our event marketing and promotions department is designed to present positive entertainment and events that the Louisiana communities deserve.

We specialize in helping brands create a unique connection with consumers at our events as well as create an opportunity for you to meet other business owners, executives, present and future customers, and other socialites. Simply put, “We are Accomplished Page 4 By Making You Successful.”

aking over a publication is never an easy feat, but it is very rewarding. As we embrace 2021, we are ready for the many changes that comes along with growing a magazine that is dedicated to the community in Monroe.

Our passion for reporting the news about the communities in and around Monroe is the heartbeat of AMPS Louisiana Magazine. We strive to tell the stories about unsung heroes in our community and about artists, be they actors, writers, musicians or entertainers. With that, we know the importance of building alliances with individuals who can and will help us continue our growth. You, too, can contribute to our growth and development in bringing articles about our community. For more information about advertising with AMPS Louisiana Magazine, please reach out to me at connie@ampsmagazine.com or call 214-937-9041.

We have amazing advertising opportunities to help you grow your business and support the community. You can also subscribe to AMPS Louisiana Magazine and get your copy delivered directly to your door.

Thank you for your continued support.

Connie Morgan

Page 5

COVER STORY

Dr. James Lewis Boatner, III R

everend Dr. James Lewis Boatner lll was born and raised in Monroe, Louisiana. He went to Ouachita High school in 2000 before transferring to and attending Richwood High School from 20012004. He was an All-district football player, class president, and a member of the all-state choir. Reverend Boatner considers himself the epitome of a “Christian Family Man.” He is a father and his children are the fuel of his passion. He has studied and graduated from esteemed institutions such as Liberty School of Ministry, Dallas Theological Seminary, Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science, and Liberty University of VA. He obtained his Doctoral degree from Liberty University.

He is the Ouachita Parish Democratic Party Executive Committee Chairman. He is also the Senior Pastor of a very loving community of faith, New Salem Missionary Baptist Church of West Monroe, LA and the Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church of Grambling, LA. During Reverend Boatner’s time in high school he played football and played the position of offensive tackle. After graduating high school, he received a full scholarship to University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM). While in college Reverend Boatner had convinced himself that he could play football and work on his preaching and one passion would not interfere with the other. But whenever he was on the field it felt like something was tugging at his heart to be somewhere else. He felt forced to pick one or the other. There are some preachers who were able to play ball and have other secular careers that do not necessarily interfere with anything else they do. But Reverend Boatner felt like he did not have a choice when it came to the two.

He had to choose one. The passion was sure and, the

Page 6

calling was clear, but his biggest concern along with his parents and his pastor was him being so young. They wanted to really be sure that it was not off emotionalism and it was not something just for the moment.

His parents always made sure to remind him that he was making a decision at sixteen years old that would remain with him for the rest of his life. Reverend Boatner’s parents always had foresight as it relates to God calling him, so they were not necessarily shocked when he made the choice that he did. They have always raised him in the mindset of being a preacher. While the rest of his peers had a twelve O’clock curfew, he was a teenage boy with a nine O’clock curfew. The rest of my peers could go places like the mall and the skating ring, while Reverent Boatner was stuck at home studying. It was as if his future was written in the stars. His mom used to tell everyone that he was a boy wonder growing up and everyone supported him, so it did not feel strange taking this route. He was sixteen years old still in high school and was wrestling with his call to ministry. At the age of seventeen he was in his senior year in high school and he announced his calling and started preaching. He also took time to be trained and groomed by pastors in the area. Reverend Boatner was accepted by his community and it felt great. He went to a predominantly African American high school and the African American community is rooted in religion so most of his friends and classmates were churchgoers.

There were some great leaders in the school as well, so every school event was opened and closed with prayer.

Reverend Boatner was front and center leading every event in prayer. Reverend Boatner had a balance where he knew how to be cool and still be Christian at the same time. He never attempted throughout any portions in his life to be over religious or overly judgmental towards people. He has always been expounding in accepting the love of Christ more than anything else.

Going into sophomore year of college, Reverend Boatner decided it was time to quit the football team and move to Dallas, Texas. He transferred to the Dallas Institute of Funeral Service to study to become a mortician and a funeral director. He was also dually enrolled at Dallas Theological Seminary where he received his undergrad degree. While there Reverend Boatner was able to connect with other Christians and he also served

as a youth minster for the Marsalis Avenue Baptist Church under the leadership of Pastor Terry White.

Pastor White groomed him not only as an executive pastor, but also as a businessman. A lot of his knowledge in business was gained from Pastor White and from his mom who is an excellent business person as well. Reverend Boatner graduated in 2007 with honors and became a licensed mortician and a funeral director.

Shortly after graduation he went back home and his mom had just started her first business in Tallulah, Louisiana where he took an entry-level position there in the family company. In the beginning, it was just reverend Boatner and his little computer sitting in his momma’s closet hard at work.

Now, thirteen years later his mother’s company has over 300 employees spading over eight parishes. Although he has a degree in pastoral counseling, he does not take a counseling role in the company. He takes on a more administrative role being the executive director and he enjoys every moment.

After moving back home from Dallas Reverend Boatner joined Pleasant Green Baptist Church in Richwood under the leadership of William Smith. William Smith trained him to be the teacher that he is today to be the student of the word. While there, he was able to meet guys like Deacon Harry Brown, Brandon Brown, Mayor Gerald Brown, and Brother Terrance Harris who has passed away now. Brandon is a state attorney now and all these guys are members of Kappa Alpha Psi. Reverend Boatner really loved the way the men dressed and carried themselves. It was so impressive, so professional, and so crisp and they just sucked him in. He knew right then that he wanted to be a part of that, and so he decided to pledge with Kappa Alpha Psi. Recently Reverend

Boatner was elected to the Democratic Party executive committee and he was also elected as executive chairman in Ouachita Parish. His real passion has shifted beyond worship and church and he now has a more political view as well.

The first Sunday in October, the doors to Reverend Boatner’s church in West Monroe were opened. New Salem Baptist church is completely different in person now than it was before the pandemic. It is more of a contemporary church with predominantly young people that make up about seventy percent of the congregation. The average age of the people there are around 40 years old. We have no more than 60 or 70 people total at New Salem. As for the church in Grambling there are about 400 college age students that attend Louisiana Tech and Grambling University and there are also about 200 elderly members. They really are the base and foundation of the church. As pastor of both churches Reverend Boatner does not wish to put any of his members at risk which is why he is taking extra precaution when reopening the church doors to the public. The doors for the church in Grambling will officially open in January of 2021.

As a Christian, Reverend Boatner believes that anything happens by chance everything is purposeful, and God has a reason for everything that he does. There is a lesson that needs to be learned from every situation God places us in. The global lesson for us is to watch God and to slow down. There are some of us who thought that we could not live beyond our global lives including Reverend Boatner himself. There are 52 weeks in a year and 36 of those weeks Reverend Boatner was preaching revivals which forced him to be all over the place. There were things that he thought he had to do, and it took a global pandemic for him to sit down and think about what really mattered. There are so many things that we break our necks thinking that we cannot live without and we definitely can. The message that God is giving us is to focus on the basic and the things that really matter. The things that hold true worth. God is communicating to all of us at this time in a unique and intense way.

Follow Reverend Boatner on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/james.l.boatner Page 7

Richwood High School

Homecoming By: Connie Morgan

K’Laceia Jones

De’Jeri Saucer

Shuronda Mcmillian

Mar’Tanea McGee

Maid of Honor

Miss Red

Miss Senior

Miss White

Ri’shante Cooks Miss Richwood

Get AMPS Apparel

by Supporting Our Business Page 8

Earlissa Roe

Miss Football Sweetheart

The Belton/Williams Classic S

aturday December 12, 2020 Wossman Wildcats hosted its annual Belton/Williams Classic. Wossman Varsity boys’ basketball team defeated the Richwood Rams 67-46. #3 Devonte Austin a senior at Wossman stands 6’1 (Guard) led his team with 28 pts 5 Reb and 3 Stls. #23 Kaleb Raven also a senior standing 6’2 (Forward) had 11 pts 22 Reb and 4 Blks. #1 Pat Williams ll a junior 6’5 (Forward) had 9 pts and 9 rebs. #4 Kaleb Miles (Guard) 5’10 junior had 8 pts and 4 rebs.

Senior Antonia Dennis Jr. #12 (Guard) 5’9 had 7 pts and 7 stls.

Meadow Saulsberry senior (Forward) #21 5’11 had 4 pts and 4 rebs.

#79 Page 9

Carroll High School Homecoming

Carroll High School Homecoming Court 2020

Page 10

Miss Carroll

Tenessia Miley

Carroll High School Court

Miss Senior

Miss Football Sweetheart

Aaliyah Harris

Miss. Senior Maid Cearra Kline

Anayiah McDonald

Miss Sophomore

Miss Gold

Ja’la Robinson

Miss Sophomore Maid

Amesia Honeycutt

Don’Terrica Higgins

Miss Freshman

Miss Freshman Maid

Miss Blue

Kendrescia Brooks

Tawny Howard

Makayla Gaddis

Page 11

Principal, Dr. Eric Davis Dr. Eric Davis Principal Carroll High School Principal ¡ June 2019 to present Dr. Eric Davis is a native of Monroe, Louisiana. He decided to go into the field of education because he felt that he had to. At first, he just wanted to coach a sport.

At the time, he was unaware that if you wanted to become a coach that you had to be a teacher as well. After being in education for a couple of years, Dr. Davis knew that retiring from the classroom was not going to be an option for him.

That is when he started pushing towards becoming an administrator.

But before becoming an administrator he decided to become an Advanced Placement (AP) teacher and hope to eventually one day having his own school.

Every morning the first thing the school does is complete temperature checks for both students and teachers. They make sure everyone sanitizes their hands, and the staff sanitizes and wipes down every classroom after each class. In between classes, they make sure Page 12

that the hallways and bathrooms are sanitized.

Once a week we do a deep cleaning throughout the entire school to make sure that we keep, the building as clean and germ free as we can. The most important thing is that the parents and kids are doing everything at home as well to try to control and prevent an outbreak here at school.

Currently, we have quite a few of our kids that are completing virtual class.

One of the challenges with our virtual learners is keeping them motivated to log on for their classes. It is easier to get distracted and want to skip class when you are learning from the comfort of your home. The school keeps parental contact by reaching out to the parents weekly to make sure the students are staying on task. It is difficult for the students every day not being in the school environment, but school management makes sure that the students are up to date on what they need to do. Dr. Davis wants Carroll high school to become an A ranked school in education. The staff at Carroll

wants to make sure that the students are prepared for whatever path they decide to take. Whether it be going to college or getting a job and going straight into the world.

Principal Eric Davis is very pleased with where Carroll high school is right now academically.

If the pandemic had not come, the alumni and everyone else would be very proud of the academic progress the school has made. The Monroe City school system has been very open to any suggestions the staff here at Carroll high school have made to make the campus better, especially now during the pandemic. One plan will be worked out and ready to go and then something happens, and adjustments must be made to that plan. The biggest thing that needs to be done is the staff needs to be willing to listen to each other and to be able to share and bounce ideas off each other. The more ideas and solutions that can be pitched the better the system will be.

Monroe city schools are so far ahead of the game right now, and they

have made some major improvements. These schools are being leaders in this area in education weather a lot of people know that or not. Since Dr. Davis has served at both Wossman and Carroll high school he does not have a problem with the Monroe city school system, but I do have an accolade. Anything that we need or have they have provided without questions. Whether it is technology or cleaning supplies. Carroll high school is holding virtual college workshops with the seniors, and we have held quite a few with University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM). There is one teacher taking the lead on this program and that teacher sets up meetings and talks to them. We want to make sure that the students are taking care of their financial aid, and that they have their admissions and all their fees paid. We also want to

ensure that the students have been provided with the information that they need to prepare themselves when they leave high school in May. About ninety percent of our students are going on to a 2-year or 4-year higher education. All kids have an aspiration of going into a 4-year.

Sometimes a 4-year is not always the best thing for them coming out of high school, because they may not be mentally mature for that. That small ten percent usually have a job already lined up and they just go straight into it. College or even the military is not an option that they want to pursue upon graduation so they go straight into the workforce.

Caldwell Holiday Tourney On Monday December 28, 2020 Caldwell High School had their Holiday Tournament.

Mangham Varsity boys’ basketball team defeated Caldwell Spartans 78-74. Jaylen Williams leg Mangham with 19 pts. 9 assist and 3 steals. T. Smith had 19 pts 5 assist and 4 steals. Shun Haynes had 17 pts 11 rebounds and 2 steals. Tae Gayden added 13 pts 12 rebounds 2 steals and 3 assist. Caldwell’s Jae’kwon Gulley led his team with 22 pts. Q. Thompson followed with 19 pts. C. Butler had 7 pts. D. Andrews had 4 pts. and S. Robinson had 4 pts

Page 13

Req's separate subscription/login for HBO Max,

SAY HELLO TO

Watch your favorite entertainment in one place.

Plus,

CHOICE ™ PACKAGE

included for a year.

64

$

99 MO.

For 12 mos. plus taxes & Regional Sports Fee.

• Stream on your phone, tablet and TV - anytime, anywhere.

Available only in the U.S. (excl. Puerto Rico & U.S.V.I.). Req’s compatible device & data connection. Limited to 3 concurrent streams.

• Access HBO Max, Netflix and more on Google Play.

Req's separate subscription/login for HBO Max, Netflix. Google login required. Google is a trademark of Google LLC.

HBO Max Offer: Access HBO Max only through HBO Max app or hbomax.com. HBO Max also includes HBO channels and HBO On Demand on AT&T TV. Data rates may apply for app download/usage.

AT&T TV: *$19.95 ACTIVATION, EARLY TERMINATION FEE ($15/MO.) FOR TV FOR EACH MONTH REMAINING ON AGMT., EQUIPMENT NON-RETURN & ADD’L FEES APPLY. Price incl. CHOICE AT&T TV Pkg. 1 AT&T TV device included for well-qualified customers; otherwise $120. New residential customers only, excluding DIRECTV and U-verse TV customers. Restr’s apply.

Get AT&T TV Today!

1-866-319-6292 AT&T TV: AT&T TV requires high speed internet. Recommend minimum 24 Mbps for optimal viewing (min 8 Mbps per stream). Limit 3 concurrent AT&T streams.

CHOICE: Ends 1/16/21. 1st & 2nd year Pricing: $64.99 for first 12 mos. only. After 12 mos. or loss of eligibility, then prevailing rate applies $110/mo. for CHOICE Pkg, unless cancelled or changed prior to end of the promo period. Includes: CHOICE Pkg. Req’s 1 AT&T TV device, included for well qualified customers; otherwise $120. Add’l devices avail for $120 each or on installment; non-qualified customers must purchase additional devices up front. Additional Fees & Taxes: Price excludes Regional Sports Fee of up to $8.49/mo. (which is extra & applies to CHOICE and higher Pkgs), and certain other add’l fees & charges. AT&T TV: Subject to AT&T TV terms and conditions. Avail. in the U.S. only (excludes Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands). AT&T TV service will continue monthly at the prevailing rate charged to your payment method on file, unless you cancel, subject to any early termination fees. If you cancel in the first 14 days of order, you must return the included AT&T TV device within 14 days of order to avoid $120 non-return fee. Additional devices purchased on installment agreement subject to additional terms and conditions. See cancellation policy at att.com/help/cancellation-policy-att-tv.html for more details. Once you’ve canceled, you can access AT&T TV through the remaining monthly period. No refunds or credits for any partial-month periods or unwatched content. Compatible device req’d. Residential customers only. Pricing, channels, features, and terms subject to change & may be modified or discontinued at any time without notice. Some offers may not be available through all channels and in select areas. Regional Sports & Local Channels: Not available in select areas. Channels vary by package & billing region. Device may need to be in billing region in order to view. GENERAL: Limit 3 concurrent streams per account. Programming subject to blackout restrictions.

Taxes may apply. See your Order Confirmation email and att.com/legal/att-tv.html for more details. HBO Max: Access HBO Max through HBO Max app or hbomax.com with your AT&T log-in credentials. Compatible device or browser required. Use of HBO Max is subject to its own terms and conditions, see hbomax.com/terms-of-use for details. Programming and content subj. to change. Upon cancellation of your video service you may lose access to HBO Max. Limits: Access to one HBO Max account per AT&T account holder. May not be stackable w/other offers, credits or discounts. To learn more, visit att.com/hbomax. HBO Max is only accessible in the U.S. and certain U.S. territories where a high-speed broadband connection is available. Minimum 3G connection is requiredfor viewing on mobile devices. HBO Max is used under license. Offers may not be combined with other promotional offers on the same services and may be modified or discontinued at any time without notice. Other conditions apply to all offers. ©2020 AT&T Intellectual Property. AT&T and the Globe logo are registered trademarks and service marks of AT&T Intellectual Property. All other marksare the property of their respective owners.

Shawnderrick Scott

Recent Graduate

S

hawnderrick Scott was born and raised in Columbia, Louisiana. He attended Caldwell Parish High School from 2011-2015. Shawnderrick was very active in high school and he was a member of the basketball and football team. In basketball, he was a point guard and he was running back and a wide receiver during his time on the football team. In his free time, Shawnderrick performed in talent shows for his school. He graduated high school in 2015 with a 3.2 GPA. Unfortunately, in 2016, just a year after graduating he lost his mom. After that happened, Shawnderrick knew that he wanted to help people that went through a tragedy because he could relate to it as well.

When Shawnderrick realized that he was not going to play sports in college he quickly had to figure out a plan B. After graduating high school, he attended the University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM). He decided he wanted to study to be a radiology technologist, but his first semester did not go as planned. Shawnderrick wanted to use his people skills, so that influenced his choice of study. With that influence, he quickly realized that he needed to take a different route and pick a different degree plan. A friend told Shawnderrick about a social work program and immediately he knew that was his destiny. He always wanted to work in a hospital but when he found out that he could work in a clinic he was sold. During Shawnderrick’s last semester of college he was an intern at Green Oaks counseling, and he had to complete 400 hours. On top of that, He was working two full time jobs and going to school full time.

Despite having a heavy load and being extremely overworked Shawnderrick was able to handle his business and successfully complete his college courses and internship.

He graduate from ULM May 2020 with a 3.1 GPA. Shawnderrick’s dad has been in jail his entire life, and when his mom passed, he felt all alone. Shawnderrick knows there are people out there who have felt the same way he has felt. He knows there are people out there that could even be going through worse situations. Some people have no one that they can talk to, so this really influenced his desire to become a social worker. Before graduating Shawnderrick began to start job hunting so that he could have a solid work placement upon graduation. He was able to find a great entry level job and started working immediately after graduation. He worked there for about four months, but he felt like he was not making any changes and he had become stagnant in his job. He wanted to do something major and did not want to be one of those guys that just get out of college and nothing changes. He was not scared to relocate, because he has been on his own for a long time. Shawnderrick decided to get back online and to begin applying for new jobs. He applied to one job and they loved his resume, so they decided to reach out to him and set up a phone interview. After a couple of phone interviews, the company was very interested in him and he was soon welcomed to their team. Shawnderrick currently still works for this company and is very happy with his position and ability to do more and help others.

Shawnderrick would like to leave readers with this statement, “Take the disadvantages in your life and use it as fuel. You have to motivate yourself even when there is no one else motivating you. Live for yourself and you will live your best life.”

Page 15

Page 16

Congratulations

Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Hearns!

Greg was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan while Tarsha was born and raised in Northfolk, Virginia.

Greg and Tarsha met in 2005 at a networking event in Dallas, Texas. In 2009 they crossed paths again at a Starbucks and the chemistry was instantaneous. After dating for some time Greg popped the question and they both began planning their wedding.

The wedding guest list started with about 200-300 people, but due to Covid-19 pandemic Greg and Tarsha had to lower the number of invites to 75 guests. It was a difficult task especially with having to keep the oor plan of staying six feet apart. Greg and Tarsha had to

think about the people who were high risk. They both had a lot of family and close friends that lived not only out of town, but also out of state. They did not want anyone traveling far and exposing themselves so that was how they started to narrow the list down. They initially started with three different lists; there was the initial list with the large number of guests, and that was cut down to their B list. Once the B list was created, Greg and Tarsha began calling and emailing people asking if they were comfortable traveling to Dallas.

The ones that said that they were not comfortable with traveling were taken off the list and they would move on to the next person. After taking people off the list Greg and Tarsha moved on to their immediate friends and family. It was very stressful because they both were unsure if they could have their wedding on the date they had originally planned. Unfortunately, the venue had to reduce numbers because now they could only do fifty percent total capacity. Greg and Tarsha were forced to reduce their numbers because of that. It was a lot of uncertainty, because they did not know if the Government was going to enforce another national lock down. Greg and Tarsha were also very concerned about the guests contracting Covid by coming to the wedding.

So, they decided to host the ceremony outside in the garden. They had everyone spaced out six feet apart, and everyone there was required to wear a mask. At the reception, tables were six feet apart and hand sanitizer was available for the guest. They took every precaution necessary to make sure that everyone was safe, and the venue worked with them and was very exible.

Get AMPS Apparel

by Supporting Our Business

Page 17

SCAN FOR APP

Page 18

Become a Published Author with Dorrance.

We want to read your book!

Trusted by authors for nearly 100 years, Dorrance has made countless authors’ dreams come true.

Our staff is made up of writers, just like you.

We are dedicated to making publishing dreams come true.

Complete Book Publishing Services FIVE EASY STEPS TO PUBLICATION: 1. Consultation

4. Distribution

2. Book Production

5. Merchandising and Fulfillment

3. Promotion

Call now to receive your FREE Author’s Guide

866-604-1364

or www.dorranceinfo.com/amps

Page 19

LAWD HAV MERCY

Photographer: @rafapcds_photography MUA: @annerysmua Wardrobe stylist: @yildacloset

Page 20

ELECIA MATEO starts a strong acting career E

lecia Mateo is a Dominican actress and model known best for her role in Black is the New Brown. The show highlights the struggles and stereotypes Afro-Latinos and minorities face in the media and film industry. But this show is not Elecia’s first acting role. She began acting in 2015 in shows such as Puesto Pa Mi, Lotman, and El Escandalo del 13. Before Elecia landed her role as Belkis Ortiz in Black is the New Brown she had been modeling for twelve years. She always dreamed of becoming a model ever since she was a little girl. Elecia remembers looking at the TV watching the models strut across the screen and she knew then that she wanted and was going to become a model. She knew that not only was this her dream but that this was her way out of the lifestyle she was growing up in. In 2005, Elecia participated in her first ever beauty contest, Miss Dominican Republic. This helped prepare her to compete in the 2007 beauty contest of

Miss Dominican World. She did not win the crown at either beauty contest, but both appearances helped her prepare to be the image of many important brands. She became the face for Ron Macorix and Ron Brugal both of which are very popular rum companies in the Dominican Republic.

At the time she was the face of these rum companies she also starred in commercials for the Brahma Beer Company and the Presidente Beer Company.

Elecia also had the opportunity to star in the Bonita music video with Jowell and Randy; a very popular Reggaeton duo.

While starring in these videos and commercials Elecia decide to take her career a step further and began to produce her own calendars. Not only did she produce these calendars but she also appeared as a model in them. She was able to produce calendars for five years and even donated part of the benefits from the calendar purchases to different charities. Elecia Mateo was really making a

name for herself and was living her childhood dream.

Elecia Mateo has always believed in God and His miracles; and she states from the opportunities that she has been given how could she not believe that anything is possible.

Elecia is so grateful for how far God has brought her and everything he has done for her.

She states, “You have to believe in yourself, have faith, and fight for what you want.” Elecia knew after she won her first Miss Mini Skirts Contest that was the sign and the push she needed in order to get started on her modeling and acting career. She knew winning that contest was a true gift from God. In Elecia’s spare time she likes to exercise and maintain a healthy lifestyle. She really enjoys boxing and CrossFit and these are two of her favorite exercises to partake in.

Outside of her healthy lifestyle Elecia takes time to admire fellow successful actresses and models. She enjoys learning

about them and taking note of things they have done in their career. This gives her different goals to achieve and different outlooks on situations she has gone through in her life. Elecia admires actresses like Zoe Saldaña, Jennifer Lopez, Sarodj Bertín, and her favorite actress of all time is Angelina Jolie. Meeting Angelina Jolie one day is a goal of Elecia’s and she respects Angelina for her acting ability, her altruism, and the values she possesses.

Elecia wants to say thank you to her family, friends, and her best friend Sarodj Bertín. She also wants to give thanks and a shout out to all of her fans that follow her on social media who are faithful and always giving their support.

You can follow Elecia Mateo on all social media platforms at: https://twitter.com/eleciamateo https://www.facebook.com/eleciamateo/ https://www.instagram.com/eleciamateo

Eleciamateo@gmail.com

Page 21

Embrace the warmth of family and create

PERFECT HOLIDAY

oments

Send gifts they’ll love, make meals they’ll remember... with Omaha Steaks, Christmas this year will be worth the wait.

THE BUTCHER’S DELUXE PACKAGE

TRY THE EXCLUSIVE OMAHA STEAKS

BUTCHER’S CUT TOP SIRLOIN Taller, thicker steaks, expertly hand-cut.

Double-trimmed for 100% flawless bites.

Aged 21 days for the most tenderness.

The best steaks of your life or your money back.

4 (5 oz.) Butcher’s Cut Top Sirloins 4 (4 oz.) Boneless Pork Chops 4 Boneless Chicken Breasts (1 lb. pkg.)

8 (4 oz.) Omaha Steaks Burgers 8 (3 oz.) Gourmet Jumbo Franks 8 (3.8 oz.) Individual Scalloped Potatoes 8 (4 oz.) Caramel Apple Tartlets Steak Seasoning (1 oz.)

FREE PORK CHOPS & CHICKEN BREASTS Get even more for the holidays when you buy this package today!

$298.87* separately

INTRODUCTORY PRICE $129.99

Shop Now! OmahaSteaks.com/dinner665 or call 1.877.920.0435 and ask for free pork chops and chicken breasts with offer 66762SRA

Page 22

*Savings shown over aggregated single item base price. Photos exemplary of product advertised. Limit 2. 4 free (4 oz.) pork chops and 4 free chicken breasts (1 lb. pkg.) will be sent to each shipping address that includes (66762). Free product(s) may be substituted. Standard S&H added per address. Offer available while supplies last. Items may be substituted due to inventory limitations. Cannot be combined with other offers. Other restrictions may apply. All purchases acknowledge acceptance of Terms of Use. Visit omahasteaks.com/termsof-useOSI or call 1-800-228-9872 for a copy. Expires 1/31/21.

Page 23

LOUI

AMP

Ameri

can

S MA G ity Peo AZ

Minor

ple Suc

SIAN A ED ITIO N

INE

ceedin g

Wh Wanat They tY Do

ou T n’t The o Kn C ow Bornorey er Sto Cou ry ncilw oma K e n ma Volu me 1, Daw Issu e4 son

TER

GRI ISA FFIN www.

la.am psm ag

azinPage e.com 1

AMPS MAGAZINE of MONROE Connie Morgan, Publisher CSM Marketing Company, LLC

(214) 937-9041

www.la.ampsmagazine.com Email: connie@ampsmagazine.com

Page 24

American Minority People Succeeding