Lesly Garcia

Lesly Garcia - Lesly is 24 years old originally from Houston, Texas. She attained a bachelor’s degree in Multiplatform Journalism in 2016 and a master’s degree in Digital Media Production in 2018 from Sam Houston State University. Lesly began her journey in journalism four years ago as she always aspired to inspire young minorities and be a voice for the voiceless. Lesly’s life motto is “being kind matters”, so she uses journalism as a platform to spread the message of kindness with others and also as a way to become a leader in her community.  Via facebook.com/leslygarciatv (SISS)  Hi Lesly, where are you from and where are you currently spending your time?   (Lesly)  I was born in Mexico and I came to this country when I was around 5 years old. I then grew up in Houston but lived in Huntsville, Texas for five years where I attained my bachelor’s and master’s degree. I moved back to Houston about a year ago!  (SISS)  What was one of the hardest things that you had to go through? What advice would you give someone going through the same struggle?  (Lesly)  I grew up in an environment where I was not close to my family. That being said, the lack of support from them made me a very independent person. I grew up with my mother, younger siblings, and stepdad. But that was about it. The rest of my family lived outside the country and the other part lived in New York so interaction with them growing up, was almost non-existent. My parents became my only support system but I definitely missed out on the experience to be around my family like others. To those who don’t have their family members around or a support system, I would just tell them that you have to be your own support system. Everyone has a purpose in life, so what is your calling? With or without someone behind your back-- what is going to make you happy? Get things done for yourself. Set goals for yourself. Be your own number one fan. Meet people that have similar goals and ambitions as yourself. You will become who you are surrounded by and this will become your family.  (SISS)  Multimedia Journalist | @thewarmheartproject #SISS Tell us more… who is @leslygarciatv and what are you most proud of?  (Lesly)  Growing up I always had two passions. One was to spread the message of kindness and the other one was to become the voice for the voiceless. The two components are the reason why I founded, The Warm Heart Project in 2016. An organization that promotes love, respect, and compassion to all living beings, so that means humans, animals, and of course the environment. As an immigrant to this country, at one point, I didn’t have a “voice”. As an undocumented student, I didn’t want to tell others because I feared of being judged or being looked at a different way. So because of my journey and different experiences, I knew first hand what it was like to be treated unfairly and unrepresented. As soon as I became a resident to this country, I felt relieved and I felt that I didn’t have to hide my background anymore. However, I used my story as fuel to become a representation to others because my voice mattered. That being said, I pursued a degree in communications so that I could use my platform and profession as a way to become the voice of others. I wanted to become a leader and a role model to the immigrant community and inspire them to not stop chasing their dreams.  (SISS)  Finish this sentence, I have a dream… ?  (Lesly)  To make The Warm Heart Project a global movement.  (SISS)  What makes you the happiest? What is fun for you?  (Lesly)  Philanthropy makes me happy! I actually don’t have a full time job because I love being able to volunteer and help others. I especially love fostering and working with animals! I love being able to help those who literally don’t have a voice and bring them joy. Making others happy makes me happy.  (SISS)  How do you deal with disappointment? How do you Keep Going?  (Lesly)  I grieve, shake it off, and move on. Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% what you make out of it. I have encountered some tough situations in my life but you just have to be your biggest support and think about the “bigger picture”. Failures are part of the journey and they happen to make YOU who you are meant to be.   (SISS)  What is your superpower?  (Lesly)  My superpower is being kind!!! I respect others, love others, and I am compassionate to everything and everyone. I may be a little too nice sometimes and people tend to take advantage but kindness is truly a superpower and no matter how small your acts of kindness are, they can change the world! Our micro-efforts have a macro effect and if we all sow something positive and small everyday, our society will be much of a better place to live in.  (SISS)  Finish the sentence, my life has gotten so much better since… ?  (Lesly)  I started to focus on my mental and physical health. Sometimes we forget that this is vital, yet we don’t do it! When we take care and love ourselves first, everything else falls into place. I promise. (SISS)  Can you tell us four things people might not know about you?  (Lesly)  (1) I am a first generation college student in four families, mom, dad, stepdad, and stepmom.  (2) I wanted to be a wrestler growing up.  (3) I am terrified of spiders, clowns, and dolls.  (4) My dog and I can finish a large watermelon by ourselves.  (SISS)  Can you tell us where else can our readers follow your daily inspiration?  (Lesly)  On Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @leslygarciatv. I am in the works of a future blog on lifestyle and wellness is coming soon on YouTube!  (SISS)  Got a Story to Tell? Can you tell us a quick story or moment/night of a relationship experience, a lesson learned? (This could be funny or serious).  (Lesly)  Okay so I have been competing in pageants for about four years now and maybe have been in 8 total. Well I have never ever been trained, coached, and also never invested a big budget into any of them but I always placed. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, runner up. This past summer in 2019, I competed in a pageant that I had wanted to win with everything in me! I wanted to be this title holder because I knew I represented what the organization stood for. For the first time every, I prepared, I was coached by several people, took off work for weeks, and spent a lot of money. Long story short-- this was the only pageant I had invested so much money, time, and energy into, and I did not even place top 8. I fell into a big depression for several weeks, didn’t feel good enough, I felt that if others didn’t believe in me, why should I believe in myself? It was so bad, I never wanted to compete again, but a close friend of mine told me about a new state pageant and maybe I should give it a try. Despite being super hesitant. I did it and I won. The lesson I learned from this experience was one of the most important ones of my life. Sometimes you can try so hard at something and be so prepared, and still fail. And every time you fail it is painful and it causes so much disappointment. Especially when you try so hard. Understand that a person’s character is not judged after his victory but by their actions after a downfall. So no matter how bad the setback or how great the failure is-- you never give up! You don’t give up, you brush yourself off, you push yourself forward, and you move on. We encounter obstacles to make us stronger. Everything that happens to us is either a blessing or a lesson. If I would have given up, I wouldn’t have won my state title. But I didn’t, and now I will be competing for the national title next month representing the great state of Texas.  (SISS)  What’s your favorite quote?  (Lesly)  “In a world, where you can be anything, be kind.”  (SISS)  At Smart is so sexy we love to see women who are thriving in their career or business.  What are you most passionate about?  (Lesly)  I am passionate about spreading the message of kindness, being the voice of the voiceless, and using my story to inspire others.  (SISS)  Who was the most influential person in your life and why?  (Lesly)  My mother because she sacrificed almost everything to put me where I am today in life. She had me at a very young age so I became her only priority. Despite the lack of family support and endless challenges, and I am the woman I am today because of her.  (SISS)  Where were you five years ago? What advice would you tell your five years younger self?  (Lesly)  Five years ago, I was still undocumented, in college but at a very hard place because I struggled so hard to pay for it as undocumented students do not qualify for financial aid or scholarships, just a few but it is very hard to attain them. I thought so many times about dropping out! But what I would tell myself would be, to think about the bigger picture. Your journey will become your greatest strength. Don’t give up because it will be worth it in the long run.  (SISS)  Can you take us through a typical day? From Waking up to going to bed, Can you give us a play by play of a typical day for you?  (Lesly)  Since I have a part time job, I have a lot of freedom. My weekly routine involves working out, working, freelancing with my profession by collaborating with other creators, volunteering at a shelter, doing research on how I can better my brand, business, and platform, and hanging out with friends.  (SISS)  What is your favorite book and/or the latest one you’ve read?  (Lesly)  My favorite book is “In Cold Blood” by Truman Capote.  (SISS)  What would be a good theme song for your life?  (Lesly)  “Rise Up” by Andra Day  (SISS)  When do you feel the sexiest?  (Lesly)  When I am on stage competing on the swimwear portion of a pageant!  (SISS)  Is there someone on social media that inspires you and is a great follow?  (Lesly)  There are many but one of my favorites is Leonardo DiCaprio because he is everything I aspire to be one day! He is one of the few who uses his fame to make the world a better place.  (SISS)  What does Smart is so Sexy mean to you?  (Lesly)  Smart is so Sexy means that you don’t have to necessarily fall under one category. Often there are stereotypes where someone who is smart may be nerdy or not beautiful and if you are sexy, you are not smart. Wrong wrong wrong! This is why I like competing in pageants because I can prove others that I can be a leader in my community, I can be smart, and I can be sexy too! Being smart and sexy allows me to feel strong, empowering, and beautiful!  (SISS)  Thank you so much Lesly, you are an inspiration to all of us, I enjoyed this interview, Keep Going #SISS