Who is Julissa?

By BET.com Staff

Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Queens, New York, Julissa’s rise to stardom has been unstoppable. Before landing the job of her dreams with BET, our tomboyishly beautiful girl-next-door had time to perfect her on-air skills while co-hosting MUN2’s music and lifestyle show, "THE ROOF." While on MUN2, the former Julie B, interviewed some of the top Latin and mainstream entertainers including Roselyn Sanchez, Fat Joe, LL Cool J, Tego Calderon, Gloria Gaynor, and the list goes on. Julissa credits MUN2 for giving her the fulfilling opportunity to represent for the Latin youth and culture and truly believes her transition from the Hispanic network to BET is not only an accomplishment for herself but one for the entire Latino community.

Movies, the theater, and CEO–Julissa has blueprints to do it all. With her briefcase in tote, our marvelous miss has dreams of owning her own cosmetic, fashion and shoe lines. A graduate of the Performing Arts Talent Unlimited High School in New York, the theater major also plans to revisit the center stage and even the silver screen in the near future. Not only does Julissa dream big, she turns her dreams into reality. Her ceaseless momentum is the driving force that has positioned her for megastar success.

Despite her oozing personality, Julissa is an extremely humble home body. When she’s not giving students the latest advice on BET's "The Center," the baby girl to three older brothers enjoys kicking it at home with family. Her idea of fun includes: watching a romantic comedy and baking cakes (from the box that is). Julissa also enjoys participating in various charitable events, such as MAC Cosmetic's World Aids Day, Breast Cancer Awareness Walks, and measures for Esperanza y Caridad, a support fund for children in South America.

The actress at heart was extremely shocked when she nailed her on-air gig with BET. Julissa exclaims, “Acting is one thing, but again someone is really willing to pay me to be myself.” And “herself” is truly who she is. She reminds you of that crazy friend who serves as your external self-esteem or that family member that sets off every party. Julissa has appeared in print and television campaigns for blue chip companies like Coca Cola, Wendy’s, and El Diario La Prensa. You may also recognize her from the pages of Teen People, Street, or the cover of Baxic Magazine.

On "The Center," Julissa serves as a friend to some and eye candy for others, but ultimately she’s family to BET. We are lucky to have a fated mega-star like Julissa on board. Hard work, dedication, faith, plus optimism is Julissa’s recipe for success.