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Angela Boch, a university student in clinical psychology, at just 22 years of age is leading her own path, brand and ideas of what looks aesthetically modern, beautiful and relevant for her country of Guatemala. She’s amassed one hundred thousand followers across her platforms thanks to her high-level participation in beauty contests, modeling and viral marketing. She’s emerged as ‘Miss Ecologia‘ in a national competition, but her true power lies in her ability to represent national trends so graciously online while still living a life outside of fashion that is relatable.

She’s appeared on the national television broadcaster ‘Guatevision‘ as a guest presenter, which thanks to the eloquence developed through competitive pageants, was a natural fit for her. She’s humble in recalling this chapter in her recent ascent, but that’s actually how she came to the attention of our group. In our view, people like Angela will eventually rule the airwaves of Latin America because of their organic reach on social media.

Introduction

The recent news about Central America would have us mistakenly think that nothing culturally powerful takes place within those regions, that no Tik Tok and Instagram trends are worth following or monetizing or worth paying attention to for guidance.

Fortunately, for us in the United States, Tik Tok and Instagram are global entities. They have made worthy events happen outside of artificial geopolitical boundaries and remain the premiere access points for emerging trends that have a visual component. Even so, the individuals, like Angela Boch, who truly make an impact, are often unique and singular without much in the way of competition. Using these platforms, they have created their own trends that are independent of the platforms themselves. Regardless of whether Facebook or Instagram or Tik Tok are the venues, the message will be unique to the person emitting it.

As mentioned earlier, Angela has a presence in all major platforms with much of her spare time devoted to Instagram, but her reach is far and wide at this point on Tik Tok, which she intends to leverage as a way to promoter herself.

Totonicapán, Guatemala’s Culture

In one unique corner of the world, the department of Totonicapán, Guatemala, a young woman named Angela Boch has captivated audiences across multiple social media platforms, news outlets and tv shows due to her notoriety around exporting her modeling of traditional Mayan dresses of designer Sucely Chuc.

The garments range in terms of occasion, color, style and modernity. They are traditional and have been validated by even the harshest critics as authentically Mayan in origin despite the modern expression.

The liberty with which Sucely can express her culture’s style is valid since she is ethnically connected to the Mayan Quiché. Although, the same can be said for the bilingual Angela who is also ethnically Mayan Quiché, speaks the Mayan language fluently (presumably, as eloquently as her Spanish). Therefore, for this writer, the viral moment in which these two elegant influencers made their way into global notoriety had a prominent tinge of justice since usually we do not see native people represented so glamorously.

Boch mentions that there was initially some pushback related to the actual production of these dresses. However, she recalls that modeling these dresses has become a highlight for her:

Locals from Totonicapán were apprehensive about changes to the design from someone unconnected to the community. As luck would have it, Sucely and Angela can both legitimately lay claim to this heritage in one way or another.

Boch, for her part, has reached a range of social feats not usually seen. At 17, she began to participate in regional (department-wide) beauty contests which are competitive, demanding and require growth from the women who choose to enter the profession of fashion and adulthood simultaneously through display of their talents, their natural beauty and speech.

Losing The Fear, Saying “Yes” To Your True Self

Fashion, beauty contests, the presentation of the self, allow for practitioners to elevate into the realm of art, if done notably and uniquely. Angela Boch relayed the complexity of the act in an interview with Natalia Rueda for LCN.

Natalia Rueda Castro: How did you get started with modeling?

Angela Boch: It started in 2017, when I was studying at a school in Quetzaltenango, where they select young ladies as candidates to represent the establishment. I am very introverted in certain aspects of my life, which has made it quite difficult for me to stay afloat in many things, but that year my classmates selected me to be elected as a lady, to compete, to lose or for me to chicken out and say no then. It’s very funny because they did it to kind of “bully” me. This is the most important point of losing the fear of facing situations and at that moment I said yes, I will do it. At that moment most of my classmates got upset, because it was just a joke, it was just to annoy me. But I did it, I dared to do it and really when I participated there were about 17 candidates to participate. The school organizes very large events, they hire people who have trained departmental ladies who have been in department-wide contests from Quetzaltenango. I was among the top 5 finalists which was very difficult for me because at that time I didn’t even wear makeup, I didn’t even dress up, in fact.

Interview excerpt with La Cartita

The importance of self-representation is not lost on many of the controllers of the beauty business. The game of being the number one reference for beauty and culture of a region is intense. Effectively, whoever wins is the face, diction and class of a nation embodied in a single unit. Angela Boch deserves this spot but remains a dignified contender whose made her own path in the new world. She has spent years participating in pageants, rising to a top contender in modeling for her department. She’s competed in Miss Guatemala Latina pageants, rising to be a top contender in the end result.

Angela Boch Talks About Her Non-Profit, Sonrisa de Ángeles That Helps Impoverished Children

For years, through a non-profit named ‘Sonrisa de Angeles’ she has helped underserved communities gather resources for their betterment. Every Christmas, the organization routes funds, toys or food and other items that are crucial. The nonprofit has been nationally recognized, documents all of their work on a facebook page and can accept donations either directly as items given to the organization or via electronic means. Below, Boch details some of the work they have done and why.

“Persistence, facing my own fears, we usually doubt what can happen, the risks we can take when making some decisions, but the main thing is to take risks and I think that has helped me a lot, perseverance, resilience in situations whether they are positive or negative.”

– Angela Boch (Interview with La Cartita)