Meet May Tejeda
May is natural born Leo from Jersey who was called to the arts at an early age. Her parents hailed from the DR but wanted to give their children a better life in the US (and made sure they grew up bi-lingual).
At an early age, May would recruit her sister and cousins, creating spectacular holiday performances for the family, mixed with Hip-Hop, R&B and of course, Whitney Houston. She wrote, directed, cast, rehearsed for months and even created a playbill. May felt most connected to her purpose while entertaining her audiences who would sing and dance their hearts out.
In her twenties, there weren’t many actresses that looked like her, until she saw America Ferrera in Real Women Have Curves. She was so drawn to that movie, excitedly telling her mom, “Look Mami! There’s someone on the screen that looks like me!” And it was in that moment that she knew she was destined for film and television.
Unfortunately…Life Happened, and her dream got eclipsed. She found success as a top sales leader in different industries but would still imagine herself on screen. Inspired by Obama’s famous words, “Dream Big Dreams,” the light bulb turned on, she knew that she could no longer put her dream on hold; she had a destiny to fulfil. She had some tough lessons to learn and some growing up to do which gave her the inner strength she needed to navigate The Biz, and for that she is grateful. So she came back to her first love with renewed determination and purpose.
As a mother, May wanted to not only tell her daughter but show her, that with discipline and sacrifice, you can achieve anything you put your mind to. She tells her that every single day!
And those are the roles she plays. The SVU detective who is tough yet compassionate, the Social Worker who advocates for troubled youth and obviously, the hilarious best friend who loves to gossip and dish out unsolicited advice.
Creating art is what May is most passionate about, whether it be bringing a character to life, composing a song, or writing a story. She feels that there is no age, size or time limit to reach for the stars and that anyone can live out their best life.
All it takes is a leap of faith, a belief that you are worthy, and the drive to succeed.