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Before You See Alycia Pascual-Peña on the Saved By the Bell Reboot, Here's What to Know

11/11/2020 - 08:35 PM

Alycia Pascual-Peña, poised to appear as Aisha in the Saved by the Bell [1] reboot, is already a fierce force on the young Hollywood scene. She got her start as a model for brands like Neiman Marcus and JC Penney, moved on to a role in NBC's short-lived Chase series, and is set to star alongside Josephine Langford (and Saved by the Bell [2] costar Josie Totah!) in Amy Poehler [3]'s Moxie [4] on Netflix. Before she's all over streaming TV and movies, get to know the proud Afro Latina queen. And if you haven't already, check out the trailer for Saved By the Bell [5], premiering on Peacock on Nov. 25!

She's a Dancer

Aside from acting, Alycia is a well-versed dancer, known to frequently post videos of her skills. While she appears to mainly stick to hip-hop and Bachata, Alycia also shared a video from heels class [6]. In the post from July 2019, Alycia wrote about her growth as a dancer. "So grateful for this art form, definitely nowhere near where I want to be as a dancer but praying for the continuous growth [7]," the actress captioned the post.

She's the First in Her Family to Go to College

Alycia is currently a junior studying political science at Marist College in New York. Alycia always wanted to get her degree even though acting is her passion. Making a deal with her mother, she went to school during the semester and stayed in LA during the summer for acting gigs.

"I've always strived to be as multifaceted as possible [8]," Alycia told the CM3 YouTube channel in April 2020. "I knew that I was really adamant about academia and being a first-generation Latina in this country, that was my main goal."

She's an Ally For the Autistic Community

In a photo posted to her Instagram back in 2018, Alycia shared that her brother is autistic [9]. "Blessed to have such a unique and kind brother," the actress shared. "We must remain dedicated to raising awareness, support, and funds for Autism which continues to affect millions of individuals and families."

She Is Passionate About the Black Lives Matter Movement

Alycia has used her platform to advocate for change many times over the past few months. "Use your voice in every possible way," she urged in a post. "If you have not yet done so, sign the petitions, text the numbers, make the calls, donate if you have the ability to do so, and check on your Black friends." [10]

She's Proud of her Dominican Heritage

Alycia works progressively to represent both sides of her ethnicity and create spaces for women who look like her. While attending a rally back in June 2020, Alycia shared her experiences with discrimination.

"Mi Gente (my beloved Latinx community), [11]" she addressed, in her post. "I am an extremely proud Dominican Afro Latina. Despite being ridiculed, degraded and harassed for the colour of my skin I have always known that my melanin is a blessing. I'm Black and I'm proud. In the past I was apprehensive to candidly discuss the oppression and discrimination I endured, especially within the Latino community. But we must speak frankly for things to change."


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