The Humor Mill Sept 2015 | Page 69

ANICA A. BARBOSA is an exotic beauty who hails proudly from her native homeland of the Cape Verdean Islands. She is the second of 6 children who grew up in a small country that still resembles a serene paradise full of rich and natural culture. Raised with strict Cape Verdean beliefs and traditions would provide her with a solid foundation to shape her into the woman she is today. Full of dreams and worldly curiosity, Anica longed to see what the world was like outside of her small native humble paradise. At the tender age of 13, she was given a life changing opportunity to relocate with her family to the United States, Boston, Massachusetts. Being the first generation of the women in her family to ever read or write, she focused on education knowing it was a way to venture outside her tight knit culture. By maintaining high grades Anica earned a high rank in ROTC, scholarships to camps such as NAI Flight Training in the prestigious Tuskegee University in Alabama as a teenager. She went on to getting aviation certified and further achieving a BS in Business Management at Bridgewater Sate University in Bridgewater Massachusetts. At an early age she fell in love with martial arts which she used to stay disciplined, strong, focused and to keep moving in a positive direction. Moving from Boston to Los Angeles in 2004, Anica was in search of her inner artist. With her lifelong passion for entertaining and performing she saw the chance to break free from being a local hometown performer and the only life she knew and pursue her dream on a bigger scale. Los Angeles has since provided her an outlet to explore her talents with both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. Life as an Actor/Model in Los Angeles has opened doors to working with other amazingly talented artist and allowed her lifelong dreams to come true. Anica has a special connection with children and is passionate about mentoring them and she strives to touch their lives in many positive ways. Her passion for children drove her to seeking custody of a deserving young boy. This sacrifice being the most challenging thing she has ever done, it was also the most rewarding and through this she realized she wanted to dedicate her life to helping children on a much larger scale. She wanted to be the voice for young girls all over the world and be a role model to show them that one can always strive for and accomplish anything regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or background, all it takes is dedication and the belief of one’s self. Anica stays grounded by being environmentally conscious and volunteering on her spare time. She loves animals and making time to help others is mandatory in her life’s journey. She is passionate about all that she approaches and her energy is exciting and contagious. She magically wins the hearts of the children she mentors and the people she encounters throughout all areas of her life. She also spends time getting involved with her community by volunteering at the local food banks, The Red Cross, Boys & Girls clubs and homeless shelters throughout the city. She loves to enjoy herself by immersing in the outdoors where life is most virile… among her favorite activities are bike riding, hiking, traveling, running, cooking and exploring new and exiting things. Anica looks forward to more opportunities in the film/television industry and will continue to create a strong platform for her voice to be heard. When asked what fuels her she insists it is her passion to achieve success not only for her but everyone her life touches.