Influencer & Blog Manager Justine Bautista

My name is Justine and I am from Orange County, CA. I am a third year at Chapman University (but am graduating a year early) and am a double major in Psychology and Education with a cluster in Health. I am also a blog manager for @freetodreamag and have just recently dipped my toes into influencer marketing.

What is your proudest achievement so far?

My proudest achievement would have to be academic success. I grew up in a family that may not have had the most money, but has always reminded me of the priceless value that education has. In addition, I feel as if my academic work prepares me to become a change agent and work towards a far more equitable society. In addition, becoming a blog manager has given me an avenue for my creativity and a way to express myself while also admiring the creativity of my whole blog team along with our guest writers.

Do you have any favorite quotes you like to use in life?

I’m not entirely sure where it came from, but my laptop screensaver says, “do it for you, not for them” which I feel has always been an internal struggle for in finding what I am passionate about, I have had to constantly remind myself of what exactly is important to me rather than what fulfills the desires of others. I am still working on that mindset and am always trying to become the woman of MY dreams.

How will you describe a typical day like for yourself?

My day is totally full of academic work. I literally wake up in the morning, get ready for school, go to class, and then go home and do homework. However, in my breaks within the day, I find myself answering emails and collaboration proposals. On some days, I am also organizing blog posts and scheduling them to go live or am writing. Haha I know my day sounds super boring but I definitely feel fulfilled despite my busy schedule.

Are there any hobbies or interests you are into?

Currently, I am working on an independent research study entitled, “Racial microaggressions and cultural humility towards Filipino American  students: Examining school counselors and psychologists”.

However, in my free time, I run a blog for an internationally printed/digital magazine, Free to Dream Magazine (@freetodreamag) where I write, edit, and manage with my team of bloggers! As a new influencer, I have absolutely loved collaborating with creative brands and interacting with such an amazing community of people.

What have you always wanted to do but have yet to find the time for it?

I have always wanted to travel more, which is something that I’ve always felt like I’ve missed out on a little. Because I am graduating early, there is really no space for me to study abroad which I think would have been an incredible experience. But, I’m really hoping that after I graduate, I can find time to start travelling more often.

If you could time travel, where will you go and like to experience or witness?

This is such a tough one! I feel like I would want to go back in time and find out more about my ancestral background. I definitely feel inclined to go to the rural, post-modern Philippines and discover more about my culture. I guess it’s just because I have been discovering a lot about myself lately and, since college started, have developed a deeper appreciation for my cultural roots. I also have been so inspired by seeing people who accept and embrace their culture in college. Being able to go back to that time would further my understanding of my roots, so I definitely think that’s where I would choose to go.

What do you not get about guys?

Well, my boyfriend is definitely my best friend and I love him to pieces. I think it’s tough to generalize the term “guys”, but there are definitely a lot of things to consider. Haha so none of what I’m about to say reflects how I feel about him. But, I think that men have been really heavily pressured by society to be rigid and to be emotionally closed, which I think might make relationships more difficult. I think that, even with my male friends, it is often difficult to really understand what they’re thinking since they’ve been socially conditioned to close themselves off rather than really expressing and communicating how they feel.

Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions Justine. One question before we end, how do you define “sexy”? 

“Sexy” isn’t really a tangible object or a type of person. I think “sexy” is a feeling. It is all about self love and self confidence rather that being predicated on what society says of you. If you look at yourself in the mirror and present yourself in a way that makes you happy, that in and of itself is sexy.

Follow the lovely Justine Bautista on:

Instagram: @esor.j

Twitter: @nochilljustine

Blog: freetodreammagazine.com/blog-1

I am currently working on finding guest writers for Free to Dream. So, feel free to DM me for more info!

Images courtesy of @ayepaolo (Paolo Sanedrin)

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