Genuine Change with Alycia Pascual-Peña

The beloved Saved By The Bell returned to our screens as a reboot on Peacock. While we witnessed a reunion of some of our favorite characters, this new take on the show featured an entire new generation and in turn, new and unique stories. Alycia Pascual-Peña plays Aisha, an Afro-Latina, football-playing girl boss that faces all the typical teen challenges as well as challenges regarding her place in a majority white high school. She talked with us about the importance of not only her own role in the show, but the future of all roles that will bring genuine change to entertainment.

Can you walk us through your career from your childhood to now? 

My journey within the industry has definitely been an uphill battle. I’ve been in the industry since I was three and have always known I wanted to be an artist. But for many years I dealt with continuous rejection. But I remained dedicated to my craft and pursuing my dreams. I’m really grateful for my journey within the industry because I grew and learned from it all. I am truly blessed to be where I am as an actress and I am looking forward to everything that is to come.

Do you have a favorite memory from working on Saved By the Bell, on or off set? 

I have a lot of memories from set that I cherish, but one of my favorite memories from set would have to be filming episode seven. Episode seven allowed for the cast and I to explore Bayside out of the school a bit. We got to shoot these extravagant party scenes which were a total ball. I had so much fun dancing and laughing with my entire cast throughout filming.

How are you similar and different from Aisha? 

Aisha and I are both outspoken and motivated. We also share a lot of similarities in how we had to navigate high school. I am personally from a low income community in the Bronx but went to a high in a predominately affluent and white community. I was one of the only Black students in my entire high school, which came with a variety of hardships. But similarly to Aisha, I persevered at my school and found a way to succeed despite certain adversity I faced. Aisha paves her own unique path at Bayside, which I did throughout my own scholastic career.

Aisha and I differ in the way in which we perceive the importance of academics. Aisha is much more concerned with succeeding athletically and socially than receiving great grades. She quickly becomes one of the most popular girls at Bayside. Aisha also loves to rock the flyest outfits and cute makeup looks. I was not having nearly as much fun as Aisha does at Bayside. I was in the International Baccalaureate program in my high school and fixated on receiving good grades. You also would rarely catch me outside of sweats when I was in school. So it’s definitely a whole lotta fun being able to go back to high school in a sense. It’s been a privilege to explore all the facets of this powerful young woman.

When I’m not working I am spending quality time with my family and friends. I’m always watching movie and shows. I also am trying to dance as much as possible. Prior to Covid I also loved exploring and traveling.