Marking The Path Mark Travis Rivera

In the final episode of Marking The Path, I am so grateful for you, listeners, supporters, and my team. I honestly couldn’t have done it without you. In this episode, we talk about the importance of building a team you believe in and can trust, the importance of setting goals and defining success for yourself, highlights from all three seasons, and the legacy we hope the podcast leaves behind. So please continue to mark the path forward, knowing that authenticity is the way.

I’m going to borrow a line from Oprah when she spoke to Yara Shahidi and said, “Your future is so bright, it burns my eyes!” That is how I feel about our last guest on Marking The Path. Storyteller, choreographer, actor, performer, and my best friend, Jennifer Florentino. In this episode, we talk about Jennifer’s upbringing and how her parents instilled the value of hard work and the pivotal moments and mentors that changed her life forever. We also talk about Jennifer’s accomplishments, including being chosen out of 30,000 artists who auditioned to be in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story and her future as she continues to shine her light on the world. Follow her on Instagram @jenniferflorentino to learn more about her.



Guest Bio:

Jennifer Florentino, (Paterson, NJ) received her BFA in Dance from Point Park University. Upon graduating she had the privilege to perform and receive an honorable mention at The John F. Kennedy for the Performing Arts for a duet she co-choreographed called “Till The End.” Most recently was a part of the development in the creation of Moulin Rouge The Musical and Once Upon A One  More Time. Jennifer's artistic career has granted her the opportunity to perform across the country. Musical Theater: On Your Feet (1st National), Moulin Rouge The Musical, Evita (Encores), Once Upon A One More Time. Television/Film: Steven Spielberg's West Side Story, Starling, Modern Love, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Isn't It Romantic, Kennedy Center Honors (Gloria Estefan), SNL.Concert Dance: Kidd Pivot, LA Opera, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, and Sonya Tayeh’s You'll Still Call Me By Name.

In the first season of Marking The Path, I chose to interview my big sister. We shared stories of our upbringing and talked about how her priorities changed when she became a teen mom. So for the third and final season, I thought it was befitting to interview her daughter, my niece, Jailyn Alberto. We talk about this idea of discovery and finding yourself, growing up trying to live up to our parents’ expectations while staying true to ourselves, and being grateful for your community and those that came before you. I am so proud of the young woman Jailyn is becoming, and I am pleased to be her uncle. Check out the episode with her mom, Jennifer Martinez: The Path of a Sibling.

For a long time, I have had a strained relationship with the Church. Years ago, I came out as a gay teenager and experienced lateral violence from adults who were leaders in the Church.  Instead of doing what Jesus would do, they put me in a box and pushed me away. However, after years of therapy, I now know that people out there love me exactly as I am and align with my values. Andre Henry, a musician, singer, songwriter, author, and activist I met over a decade ago at a Church event, is this week's guest on Marking The Path. In this episode, we talk about showing up despite your past, the importance of sharing your trauma and triumphs, and gaining a stronger sense of self when you lose friends who don't align with your values. We also talk about Andre's forthcoming book, "All the White Friends I Couldn't Keep," the publishing process, and when to buy it. To pre-order his book, click here!

Guest Bio: 

Andre Henry has a passion for making the invisible visible. In the summer of 2016, he began lugging a solid granite boulder around Los Angeles to show the weight of systemic racism on the black psyche. Months later, he walked around dressed for a funeral with the names of the victims of state violence written on his jacket; and in response to the police-involved death of his mentally ill neighbor, J.R. Thomas, Andre founded an activist collective called “Something Disruptive” dedicated to creative, nonviolent direct action. Together, “Something Disruptive” convened a group of community leaders, students, clergy, and civilians from around Los Angeles County for a year-long vigil in protest of police brutality in the wake of J.R. Thomas’ death at the doors of the Pasadena Police Station called “A Subversive Liturgy.” Through this year-long action, the group raised financial support for J.R.’s family and local Black Lives Matter activists, as well as mobilized support for the Black Lives Matter Pasadena Freedom School serving the youth of Northwest Pasadena.

Andre is a student of nonviolent struggle and social change, including studying leadership in nonviolent movements for social change through the Harvard Kennedy School. He specializes in using digital media to educate and mobilize audiences for racial justice and social progress. He has served as managing editor at RELEVANT Media Group and is currently a contributing editor for The Sider Center for Peace and Justice in Philadelphia, a Content Expert for the Fuller Leadership Platform, and a Research Assistant for the Innovation for Vocation Project. He has also earned theology degrees from both Southeastern University and Fuller Seminary.

The past few months have been difficult. I recently was laid off from my job, I made a cross-country move to Atlanta, and I’ve been heavily feeling imposter syndrome and uncertainty. So it’s no coincidence that I have been interviewing spiritually grounded guests that own their connection to their higher power because I am on a journey back to mine. Today’s guest is Caridad De La Luz AKA La Bruja! In this episode, we talk about her first time performing at the esteemed Nuyorican Poets Cafe, her love for her hometown: the Bronx, and the inception of her fantastic piece, Poor to Rico. We even get a snippet! I share my gratitude with La Bruja because, without poets like her, there would be no poets like me. Seeing her and other Puerto Rican artists share themselves so freely gave me a path to follow. To learn more about La Bruja, check out her website https://caridaddelaluz.com/

Guest Bio:
Caridad De La Luz is a multifaceted performer known as LA BRUJA. She raps, acts, sings, hosts, recites, dances, does stand up comedy, writes plays/poems/songs/scripts and teaches others how to do the same. Winner of the Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship 2020-2021 and The David Prize finalist 2021, she has been one of America's leading spoken word poets for over 15 years and has received the Puerto Rican Women Legacy Award, The Edgar Allan Poe Award from The Bronx Historical Society and was honored as A Bronx Living Legend by The Bronx Music Heritage Center.  She was presented with a Citation of Merit from The Bronx Borough President and named “Top 20 Puerto Rican Women Everyone Should Know”.

For our third and final installment of #AskMark, we received various questions from our community, and I enjoyed answering every one of them! In this episode, I talk about advocating for yourself, cultivating a workspace that promotes authenticity, honoring the calling of your life, and so much more. I am so thankful for our listeners and everything I have learned on this podcasting journey. Be sure to follow @MarkingThePath on Instagram to learn more.