Some People Dream of Success… Others Wake Up and Work Hard for it
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By Bobbie Catala | Photos by Filip Shobot
lanca Blanco is living proof that hard work and determination will get you EVERYWHERE. Born in Watsonville, California to immigrant parents, and YES, this is her birth name. Blanca was instilled with a strong work ethic at a very early age. Her dream for as long as she can remember, was to become an actress. But before she achieved her goal, and broke into the field of acting, there was a girl with perseverance, who overcame many obstacles. During our conversation, Blanca reflected on her early years, being one of five children, and having parents that worked multiple jobs to support the family, but still growing up poor. She believes that everyone is a product of their environment, but anyone can overcome difficulties. The actress feels these hard times are what shaped her into who she is today. When Blanca was nine years old, her family moved from California to Chelan Washington. Here, she took acting classes, and singing lessons, all while maintaining her schoolwork. Somehow this purposeful young lady
also managed to find the time to organize local theatrical performances. She also, along with her two brothers and two sisters, would reenact scenes from popular films for the amusement of her family. Blanca, in addition to wanting to be an actress, was steadfast in the importance of an education. She proudly told me she was the first Latino from her hometown to go to college. Blanca immediately attended Spoken Falls Community College after high school, where she earned an Associate of Science degree. From there, she received an impressive $80,000.00 in scholarships and transferred to Washington State University, going on to attain a bachelor’s degree in psychology, and a master’s degree in social work from Eastern Washington University. While in college Blanca worked as a therapist for government organizations, as well as for a rehabilitation center, in her hometown, for individuals newly released from prison. She also worked teaching Spanish. Blanca shared her experience of working at a hospice also, stating she was very “uncomfortable” yet found it extremely rewarding.
November 2016 | 45