Meet Marchel Auguste | Aspiring Actress & Public Relations student

We had the good fortune of connecting with Marchel Auguste and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marchel, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I’m originally from Miami, Florida. My parents were both born in Haiti and raised in New York City / Miami Florida. Having been raised in Miami, there wasn’t too much of a culture shock when it came to moving to Los Angeles. The only main differences are the hills, and the cooler air. I grew up in predominantly white schools & spaces, so as a Haitian American child this was definitely a bit of a struggle while maneuvering these spaces growing up, however it shaped who I am as a person today, especially when it comes to having the security within myself to know that I am capable of achieving what I want in this life regardless of my background or the color of my skin. Growing up in Miami, I learned very quickly that I would have to work twice as hard to get half of what my peers would get while also being cautious of my actions, as they can be perceived negatively simply based on my background. This is a tough situation for a child to have to be conscious of, however, it really shaped me into being the strong confident self aware person I am today. I wouldn’t change my experience.

I also went to my first (public) school when I started 9th grade. So prior to high school, I grew up going to private schools, one of which was a Christian private school & another was a Montessori. As you can imagine, that is its own dynamic in itself. My Miami Beach Senior Highschool experience was the first time in my entire life up until then, where I finally felt fully accepted and welcomed. Attending school on South Beach also opened my eyes and mind to many great experiences in life.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
When I first moved to LA, to my surprise I was able to land an agent quite easily and quickly. However, that abruptly came crumbling down when I had to choose between (being able to pay rent every month) or (having an agent and attending auditions). My first week in LA I got a new job at a hair salon, the first day of work I got an email from my agent saying I needed to go all the way to Santa Monica for a casting. I could not make the casting because I had to start my first day at the hair salon, my agent dropped me the next day and told me if I wanted it bad enough, i’d pick one. I was in film, print, and commercial acting growing up. From as early as I can remember being an entertainer was everything to me. It’s ALL I wanted to do. Having a “backup plan” scared me. (still does) I remember seeing an interview with the late Naya Rivera from Glee where she even states “if you have a backup plan, you end up doing your backup plan”. So growing up I felt like I had to conform to the norm of what my peers and society expected from me by having a “realistic” answer or backup plan to the infamous question “What do you want to be when you grow up? What do you want to major in?” What career field do you want after college?” I became ashamed of saying an actress. So I struggled with trying to figure out what career path I could choose as a choice of study that would keep me adjecent to the entertainment industry without having weird faces given to me if I simply chose theater. (Which there’s nothing wrong with being a theater major and honestly I regret not doing that at times) But my choices were, Public Relations… or Entertainment lawyer. I chose public relations. HOWEVER, that’s not to diminish the importance for my choice. I do truly enjoy the field. I am able to dabble in various aspects of creativity and it still fills whatever creative void I may have at times. I also love social media now and how far it’s come! My first experience with social media and how it correlates to the world of PR was due to me being a Justin Bieber fan. I had a fan page for him that kind of started a movement, this movement brought so much attention that it became the #1 trending topic on Twitter the first day I even made the page and hashtag. This garnered the attention of Bieber’s team including his manager Scooter Braun. Scooter reached out to me, and the rest is history. I still have pictures and videos from an event I organized called the “Bieber Buyout” where I invited a bunch of fans who lived in Miami to join me at my local target so we could all join together and purchase his album in stores, take pictures, hangout, and post the event on Twitter. I bought a cake with a logo on it to promote his Christmas album as well. Set up a table in the middle of target and everyone who walked by asked questions, gained interest, and purchased an album to see what the hype was about!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would definitely take them to the Santa Monica pier but closer to sunset / at night cause it’s definitely a cool experience there. I also love the restaurants Laurel Hardware, CATCH LA, Ysabel, and for brunch or breakfast spots Butcher, Baker, Cappunicio maker is always a good go too. Larchmont’s Brick’s & Scones has been a place I’ve taken everyone too and lastly definitely check out Great White for breakfast one Larchmont.

Hiking on Runyon canyon or the Griffith observatory is always a must for my friends and family visiting as well. The PCH drive with music blasting is also a must. Maybe even a beach day in Malibu. Sometimes I really just like even driving around with them and exploring new places in LA just sight seeing, because it’s such a beautiful large city.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’ve had my fair share of supportive friends, and also doubtful friends. My support and encouragement comes from God truly. However, my mom would definitely be right up there as well. My mom is someone who has supported me throughout every endeavor and always taught me that when there’s a will, there’s a way. My mom taught me to tune out the noise from others who doubt me, and know that all things are possible through Christ. I was severely bullied in elementary and middle school due to my race and the way I spoke. I got called an “Oreo” (aka white on the inside black on the outside) just because of my cadence. I struggled a lot with feeling adequate enough to belong in any space. However, my mom would not let that ever discourage me. She put me in every extra circular activity I requested to be in that involved any artistic expression that I sought out. Although at times, she struggled financially to uphold this for my sister and I. She was determined to make it happen. I took dance, piano, guitar, voice, cheerleading, all things she had to pay for out of pocket because I did not feel comfortable enough doing it in school for free with my peers. I am forever thankful for my mom, and her support. Entertainment is my release, I love the entertainment industry and everything that comes with being able to have an escape with self expression through the arts / embodying a different character or persona.

Website: https://www.tiktok.com/@shellymxo

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shellymxoxo; @Shellymxoxo

Tiktok: @Shellymxo

Image Credits
Matt Marcheski
Davis Factor