Ingrid: How has your experience on BET’s College Hill Interns show changed your life?
Tationna: I mean, I can definitely say being invited to red carpet events, doing interviews, being asked to do feature films without auditioning is wonderful. Once I was back home, it was surreal. However, once I got home, I still feel like I’m the same person.

Ingrid: How have you utilized your success to make a difference?
Tationna: By definitely letting people know it’s possible and tangible. A lot of people think acting is about having talent, but it’s also a business. I have been educating my friends about things I’ve learned and how to get into the business.
Ingrid: How did you get into the business?
Tationna: I first interned at Universal, then next at Bad Boy. After that, I saw a lot of things in the music industry that wasn’t for me. A friend told me about internship and I wanted to be interviewed thinking it was for an actual internship, later I found out it was for the reality show and I got the part.

Ingrid: Do you think it’s important to stay true to your roots/community as a professional actor?
Tationna: Yes, definitely stay true to who you are and where you come from, to help others. Especially as a black woman, it’s important for me to connect with my people, because they have supported me from the beginning.

Ingrid: When you think about the success of reality TV, what inspires you to “do you” and what does that mean for you?
Tationna: Like a lot of actors, I was a drama nerd since junior high school. Sometimes when there is a great opportunity you have to jump on it. It’s about really seeing an opportunity and being smart about it and doing the right things to be successful.

Ingrid: What advice would you give to a young person about realizing their dreams?
Tationna: Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you are too young to do something. Always research, research, research… At 19 years old, my friend and I incorporated our own publicity company. We thought, “why not do event planning, PR and marketing?” Again, definitely research. We thought why “baby sit” when we can start our own company. Everything is at your finger tips, especially with the internet.

Ingrid:  Tell me about Tationna the woman? What are you most passionate about?
Tationna: It still feels kind of strange… I am in the middle ground. I still feel like I am a teenager, but I am getting to know myself daily. I am learning to go after what I want and not let any one tell me I can’t or stop me.

Ingrid:  Can you give our readers words of encouragement on how you stay true to self?
Tationna: Yes, by staying ambitious, grounded and following your passion. I am young and at the same time, you are always worried about what you will be when you grow up. I am definitely one of those people that like to live in the moment.

Ingrid:  Can you share something about yourself that we have not learned about until now?
Tationna: I would definitely say that people have to remember that in watching a reality show, it is a television show for entertainment. So, not everything is exactly what it seems. There is a lot of dimension and depth to me than what you see on the show. It’s weird that people are just now watching something that you experienced, like two months ago. You have to bring yourself back and relive the moment.

Ingrid: How have your experiences developed/matured you as a person first and next as an actor?
Tationna: Being on the show definitely helped me to learn to deal with adversity. We had different personalities in one house. I learned to work with other people in a business environment. I learned a lot about business, corporate communications and event planning. Also, I learned how to take time for myself and how to breathe. I learned to pace myself as an actor, being in front of the camera 24/7… I quickly got over being camera shy.

Ingrid:  If you weren’t acting right now, what would you be doing?
Tationna: I would probably be doing something in television production. Definitely film and working behind the scenes. I would also be involved in event planning like I am doing right now. I love planning parties—watching the event unfold from beginning to end. I love creative artsy stuff. I have been doing event planning for about two years.

Ingrid:  What do you want people to know and/or understand most about you?
Tationna: I would want people to know and understand that I am just your average college girl, Tationna from the Bronx. I am very compassionate and would always want to stay grounded. In my mind, I’ll always be Tationna from the Bronx. It doesn’t matter if I am doing a photo shoot in Paris or a movie in another fabulous location, I will always be Tationna from the Bronx.

Ingrid:  You have a blank sheet of paper to express yourself “free style.” What would you say to the world, so we can feel the real essence of you?
Tationna: I’m like that home girl you can talk to about anything. I am like your cousin you grew up with, have fun with and hang out with. Then again, to some I am that mentor who has been through some things and offers good advice. I am still trying to figure out myself, but I am learning along the way.

I hope you can agree that Tationna is a young lady that has a lot to offer to the world, for inspiration and empowerment. She didn’t want me to end our interview without mentioning an important person in her career: my (Tationna) entertainment consultant David Mims with Detroit to Los Angeles PR and Marketing. Tationna is in production with a film called “Black Butterfly.” The film should be out in 2008 and is directed by Harry Davis. “I am really excited about that”, says Tationna. For booking Tationna, contact David Mims at 313-624-6467.
Please check out her Myspace page, www.myspace.com/tationnab for more information and updates.