Monique Yesenia is a Certified Life Coach/Relationship Coach/Prison Coach, Re-Entry Coach, Community Activist, Motivational Speaker, Author and former Legal Advocate for the wrongly convicted and juveniles who were sentenced harshly for non-violent crimes. She is a mother of one son and is a Brooklyn native who now reside in Virginia Beach, Virginia. She moved from her hometown Brooklyn New York six months after the tragic events of September 11th. Although it was a very tough decision for Monique to leave where she grew up at she knew New York would never be the same for her. She made the decision to go to Virginia and build a new life.

 

Monique has great compassion for people in the struggle and has always been on a mission to make a difference in lives that were in need. As we all know when you have passion there is love, with love there is change, with change you make a difference and that is exactly what she has done. Monique was raised in the toughest housing projects in Brooklyn, New York and seen the need of assistance in the communities in Virginia that were suffering as she witnessed herself growing up. She also seen the effect of mass incarceration amongst black people and the hardship it caused on single mothers.

 

Monique knew she had to make a difference, so she began studying the law. She contributed to the case of Luis Moux, Jerahn Tucker and Travion Blount amongst helping 14 other people who were also sentenced harshly or wrongly convicted.  She started online petitions, ran social media pages, connected with officials, courts, supporters, and lawyers for their freedom and became known on a worldwide basis.

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Travion Blount is her biggest case to this day. She pushed Travion story worldwide utilizing social media, radio interviews, newspapers and magazines to bring light to his unjust case. Monique created an on-line petition which thousands of people signed, and she worked diligently around the clock for Travion freedom for over seven years. As of January 14, 2018, Travion Blount was granted a conditional pardon by former Governor Terry McAuliffe. He turned a sentence for a 15-year-old boy, who is now 31 years old and served 14 years in prison from 118 years and 6 life sentences into freedom for Travion. Monique advocacy work speaks volume, and she has worked with top lawyers to assist on the freedom of those in prison for the past decade. (Please google our special story, the fight for his freedom and our beautiful ending of his freedom. We were strangers and now he is my bonus son (put in the google search Monique Santiago - Travion Blount and an abundance of articles will pop up).

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Prior to advocating, Monique started an all women social club in 2010 to assist children and single parents who are in need of clothing, food and school supplies. Although the members in the group tapered off to focus on their lives Monique never stopped and she stands as a one-woman army to help those that are still in need. Her motto is “we are accountable for one another” so she stayed true to her word and continues her community work.

 

Monique became a self- published author in 2011. The book entitled LESSONS LEARNED “my life, my lessons, my advice” became a household read and helped many women who faced the same struggles as she did. In March 2016 she self-published her first Life Coach Workbook entitled “M.Y. LIFE COACH EXPERIENCE”. This workbook has been utilized in the prison system when she speaks/teaches and is also used at her bi-monthly seminars and lectures she holds at the public library. Monique second coaching workbook “M.Y. LIFE COACH RELATIONSHIP WORKBOOK” was debuted October 2017. This workbook was designed initially to assist couples who loved ones were incarcerated and maintaining their relationship throughout the hardship of doing prison time. A few months after the release of the workbook she began holding relationship seminars throughout the VADOC. Monique also created the “M.Y. RE-ENTRY WORKBOOK” which was created in 2020. Her fourth and fifth workbook "M.Y. YOUR JOB THIS WEEK IS"….was released December 2021 and January 2023. It is an affirmation workbook and journal. Finally, Monique will be releasing her fifth book “PAIN HAS PURPOSE” that will be released in 2023.

 

Monique has GRACEFULLY been named the new age "Harriet Tubman" and is truly an one woman army who continues to help those in need. She honors and stay true to her word. Monique has dedicated her life to the community and the freedom, justice, and equality to those incarcerated and re-entering back into society.