Meet Jessmine Cornelius of Jess Suilenroç in Dallas

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessmine Cornelius.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Jessmine. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
A Dallas native, I found my gift of singing at the age of six. At the constant push of my grandmother, the late Jo Ann Perkins, I easily became a standout in every choir I participated in during my grade school years. After reaching over 20 million views on Facebook on her cover of the Deniece Williams hit “Silly” in 2016, I knew that it was time to make room and take charge of a possible adventure with music. In terms of influence, I credit Anita Baker, Lailah Hathaway, Lauryn Hill, and H.E.R. as pivotal inspirations. Subsequently, I like to describe myself as a free spirit with vibes like Lauryn Hill and energy like Erykah Badu.

Education has always been my number one priority but I have learned, through time, that my gift is necessary to reach, fuel and motivate others. Aside from the entertainment factor, I remain vocal regarding issues of social injustice and advocating in both the #ForTheCulture and #HBCUsMatter movements, primarily on social media, to keep hope alive. I am currently a senior at Prairie View A&M University, majoring in History and minoring in African-American Studies and Behavioral & Political Sciences; PVAMU is one of nine Historically Black Colleges and Universities in Texas. I will continue to work on my Masters and eventually, my Ph.D. all while continuing to give the industry a chance, as I believe that a backup plan is always necessary. Ultimately, I allow my faith to be my guidance and trust that whatever lies ahead for me, is indeed for me.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
HA! Smooth? NOT EVEN. As a matter of fact, I’m not even sure I know what a smooth road is and I’m completely okay with that. Every single roadblock, barrier, leap, bound, hump and fall that I have endured came because they were supposed to. I’ve been homeless, abused and struggled with so much before I left home for PVAMU at 23. In a nutshell, my biggest fight has been with my mental health, something I have struggled with since I was eight. Depression, anxiety, PTSD, sleep disorders – you name it. I’ve attempted suicide more than once, as a result of and I realized that once the attempts continued to fail, there was a purpose in my life and my purpose had not been fulfilled yet.

When “Silly” went viral in 2016, my name on Facebook at the time was “Jess Suilenroç” — which is just my last name Cornelius backwards. Since then, it’s still been Jess Suilenroç on my social media and I remember I kind of used to be irritated with that because I really really like my real name! I didn’t even realize how much of a blessing that was until it was time to leave home and go to school. Once I got here, it was like no one knew me when I introduced myself as Jessmine and that ushered in sooo much peace in my life because it felt as if I was starting over.

Since being at PVAMU, I’ve found a niche for more than I ever thought in the creative arts. They utilize me a lot for singing but I also do photography, sing in our Chapel choir “Sounds is Faith” and work on the PVAMU GO Team which is focused on increasing attendance and participation at campus sporting events.

Please tell us more about what you do, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I sing! That’s my gift! I have a huge personality so partnered with the gift, it’s a beautiful manifestation. I am most proud of myself in how I have grown my following, organically. Through my hard work, consistency and having a manager that knows the ins-and-outs of the business, it’s been easy to let it grow.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
School, school, school! I plan on working on getting a Masters and Ph.D. in African-American studies. want to dibble dabble in politics somewhere, be it city council or my local school board, State Representative or Senator in Austin or even working in Congress one day. My ultimate career goal is to become the President of an HBCU like Prairie View A&M University. Singing, as my gift, will always make a way for itself by no way of force so I’ll be out there.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jsuilenrocmusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jsuilenroc/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jsuilenroc/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/jsuilenroc
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHRL4oe2xlwJA-iFW0bMZQw

Image Credit:
Stan Fleming, Jr.

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