Cyrene: Multimedia Siren

CyreneQ, Snapchats social media princess is the proverbial girl-next-door; her wholesomeness
(reminiscent of her Disney alter egos) almost an anachronism by todays standards. Who would think that
underneath her ingenue-like personality lies an astute and seasoned artist-marketing entrepreneur who has
conquered both the real and virtual world with her stylus and brushes? This quintessential 21st Century
success now commands an easy $10,000 - $30,000 per contract as a brand endorser using the Snapchat
platform, which she transforms into a digital canvas where she does a magnificent job telling 10-second
cleverly scripted stories. Her intricate and whimsical art may only have a shelf-life of 24 hours but it is an
interactive and creative mix of drawings, stories, videos, text, games and quizzes - something that her
audience of 100,000 per snap look forward to. Educated and trained in both classical and digital arts, a web
designer and freelance graphic artist by trade, Cyrenes story of true grit fascinates and inspires.

Doe-eyed, bubbly and oozing with positivity, Cyrene Quiamco could be your sister, daughter, favorite niece
or BFF- who, despite being the toast of the Millennial set and a cult figure among her Gen Z followers, has
remained unaffected and gracious. Up close and personal, she comes off as very authentic: a quality that
can be sniffed a million bytes away in a virtual world. Her sheer talent across many art forms and her ability
to engage her massive audience on an emotional level and get them to connect and interact, has earned her
the right to be called a social media influencer. Going beyond Snapchat as a messaging app and leveraging
on her design background, she has pitched for Unicef, Pixar, MTV, Century Fox, Samsung, Disney,
Walmart, Burger King, and The Voice among others. Her so-called selfies with celebrities such as Ellen
DeGeneres, Bruno Mars and Taylor Swift, Donald Duck and Frozen royalties Elsa and Anna are very
popular with followers, as are her lovable Disney transformations as Jasmine, Snow White and Ariel.

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Not many could have Kevin Jonas (yes,THAT celebrity) just a text away. But even with an enviable list of
the most recognizable and sought after brand names tucked under her belt, she remains very grounded;
quite unfazed by the fuss and constantly grateful for the opportunity to embark on new campaigns that she
personally believes in. The lady has a big heart: she has written a book, 11 Seconds to Success as way to
pay it forward. Released through Amazon on February 14, 2017, the book chronicles how she made it,
hoping to inspire those who want to follow in her footsteps.

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However, this is not the first time for her to share talent, expertise, and passion. While still a student, she
enthusiastically supported community projects by donating pieces of art. Cyrene also created a blog and
community for Snapchat artists, The11th Second.com so she could share their work off the platform and
give this disappearing art form a new lease on life beyond the customary 10 seconds shelf-life on Snapchat.
Her success using Snapchat Art led to many lucrative five to six-figure advertising sponsorships and
marketing contracts which got her travelling around the world.

Interviewing numerous celebrities in red carpet events, oftentimes in exclusive movie premiere screenings,
got her noticed for her artistic and intelligent treatment of the material using a very transitory medium. The
moment may be fleeting but the screenshots captured the fun, novelty and authenticity of the experience.
At the end of the day, every endorsement was worth it: Cyrene effectively engaged her followers with
original content that came straight from the heart, skillfully transforming thoughts, impressions and ideas to
something her audience snapped up even without the hard sell. She latched on to that common thread of
human experience with whimsy, imagination and technical dexterity, and in time, found the tables turned
around as she, the erstwhile interviewer, become the subject herself. Some of the interviews that dotted her
two year career as a brand ambassadress and content publisher:
Turning 10-Second Snaps Into A $500,000-A-Year Gig - Forbes
Cyrene Quiamco Can Make $10,000 for 1 Snap on Snapchat - Cosmopolitan
The New Establishment 2016 (as one of 3 Snapchat artists) - Vanity Fair
The top 50 marketing influencers on Snapchat (that aren't DJ Khaled) - Mashable
26-Year-Old Quits Her Job to Do Snapchat Full-Time - The Hustle

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One wonders, how did she go viral? Did she belong to the entitled set whose rise to fame is usually made
easier by being privileged? Or was she an accidental find on Youtube who caught the eye of Ellen D. or
Oprah; daytime TV queens who had habitually brought Filipino sensations to worldwide attention? Not at all.
In fact, her story is what telenovelas are made of - a migrants hard-earned success story with a twist. In a
manner of speaking, her life can be defined in stages by 3 Disney songs: When You Wish Upon Star, A
Whole New World and Let It Go.

When You Wish Upon A Star

In 1997, roughly twenty years ago Cyrene aged 7, together with 3 year-old sister Chris-Joy and single mom
Christine Ganzon went to America on the strength of a 10-year tourist visa, in search of a better life. Most
Filipinos would choose California or New York but Christine wisely opted for Arkansas where the cost of
living was significantly lower. Leaving the Philippines was not easy and they had to sell a property she had
hoped to build their house on. The amount was not a princely sum even then, but enough to buy tickets for
the U.S, get them through their adjustment stage and enrol the kids in a private Catholic school. It was
seemingly her last card but Christine was doggedly determined to give her daughters better opportunities.

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She dreamed big and her shining example was a beacon for her two children to follow. Starting over was
difficult and she had to work several part-time jobs to make ends meet. BUT she was always able to bring
her kids to school and pick them up on time, never missed an important school event and nursed them
through childhood illnesses singlehandedly. What made it an incredible feat was that Christine was not a
nurse, doctor or highly paid professional who could afford costly child care. She worked long hours and
could only afford a small apartment but it was a home that was full of love, laughter, joy and the incredible
faith that things would take a turn for the better - and so it did, eventually.

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When asked how she raised two extremely successful daughters who both had college scholarships and
multiple majors, she just smiles and shrugs her shoulders,I just fed them! The two sisters are quick to
refute that, recounting struggles through the difficult years. They credit their Moms indomitable spirit for
inspiration, and are eternally thankful for the love, faith and support that had molded them. Christine adds,
Jesting aside, I raised them to be respectful and well-mannered; to be always kind and nice to everyone. I
showered them with unconditional love and support in success and failure. Most of all, they knew I would
always be there, all the time for them.

The two sisters, mature for their age even as children, practically raised each other by keeping themselves
preoccupied watching Disney features after doing their homework and playing VERY quietly. They had each
others back with Chris-Joy, the younger sibling sometimes preparing meals for an exhausted and sleeping
Cyrene. Cyrene admits that some failures were difficult to swallow but they were always told to, believe in
yourself and start over after a fall. There are no limits, only opportunities and you alone can set the bar for
what you want to achieve!

Speak to your children as if they are the kindest, wisest,

most beautiful and most magical humans on earth,
for what they believe is what they become --- Broke Hampton

A Whole New World

When Cyrene, a straight A student decided to study art in college, she quieted her Moms unspoken fears by
declaring,I wont be a starving artist. She pursued her passion with that same go for it attitude and
entered college with 7 scholarships (Donaghey Scholar, Windgate Art Scholar and Little Rock American
Advertising Federation Scholar). She graduated from the University of Arkansas, at Little Rock, Magna Cum
Laude with 3 majors for Studio Art: Graphic Design, Painting, and Ceramics with a minor in Digital Graphics.
She also had scholarships in Hong Kong and Seoul. Even as a junior college student, she indulged her
penchant for travelling with family - Christines philosophy of putting family first had rubbed off on her
children who wanted nothing more than to share good times.

To everyones surprise, Cyrene was able to purchase the dream house they had visualized for years with
money left over from her scholarship funds augmented by earnings from freelance jobs. A house and a car
completely paid for before she turned 25 was nothing short of amazing, but the achievement she is most
proud of is the fact that their financial stability allowed Christine to retire and enjoy what she had missed out
on.They not only survived in a very competitive, sometimes hostile environment - they took root and

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blossomed beautifully. Today, they are living the American Dream while remaining as Filipino as adobo. In
fact, Cyrene is the global ambassador for NDAA 2017 (National Digital Art Awards), the Philippines top
award giving body that honors digital artists..

Let it Go

She said .Ive always excelled in Art, but didnt know how to make money from it. It was providential that
she studied graphics design, landed a job as a product designer for a cosmetics company and was web
designer for Verizon. Learning the ropes prepared her for her next challenge - to monetize her art. Her early
ventures, didnt pan out, I dont see losing as a failure, its only a step to finding out what success really is.

I was so innocent, so dumb...I didnt know you could fail.

Debbie Reynolds talking about Singin In the Rain
As luck would have it, when she was 25 and burning out from a job that paid well but didnt allow her to
spend quality time with family, she chanced on the Snapchat app. Incredibly creative and equipped with the
technical facility, she created snaps that integrated video and graphics. Each casual-looking snap was not
as easy to make as it looks, since she had to make a storyboard and shoot videos that looked effortless.
These movies in a nutshell sometimes took numerous retakes to look natural but her efforts paid off.
Companies took notice, and soon enough, she had to quit her corporate job at Verizon to follow her bliss. In
2016, she was named as One of the Most Fascinating People on the Internet (Cosmopolitan), Top 50 best
People on the Internet Right Now (Tech Insider), The Best, Coolest, Smartest, Weirdest Accounts on the
Hottest Social Network (NYMag) and Top 100 Cultural Icons (Vanity Fair). She continues to paint and has
won an award for graphic design.

Let It Go indeed Cyrene. The best is yet to come.

Wow, 2016, you were amazing! We got to travel to so many places, attend VIP events, meet tons of great people
including hanging out with celebrities and even got celebrity treatment for ourselves with tons of press interviews and
photoshoots! We got featured in Forbes, Business Insider, Vanity Fair, Refinery29, Mashable, on top of being
published in magazines and featured on an international TV show! Oh and published a book! 2016 set the bar high.
2017, I'm ready for our big adventures! Cyrene Quiamco post on Facebook, January 1, 2017

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Author: Mary Verdure Biron-Tolentino