Welcome

“I’m a SHINE COACH, author, artist, actress, model, public speaker, storyteller,

content creator, and a proud Latina living in Texas.

I have spent the past three decades helping my community shine brighter by encouraging them to discover

the power of print”-Marie Elena Cortes

Who is Marie Elena Cortes?

Who is Marie Elena Cortes?

Marie Elena Cortes is an International Award-Winning Author and a passionate motivational speaker with more than twenty-five years of experience inspiring audiences worldwide.

Born in Torrance, California, Marie Elena grew up undocumented in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico, after her father abandoned the family. At sixteen, she returned to the United States determined to learn English and build a brighter future. She not only overcame the language barrier but also rose above discrimination and hardship, transforming resilience into her greatest strength. In 1996, she achieved her dream of becoming a Bilingual and ESL Teacher, serving the Houston, Texas community through creative, multicultural education.

Throughout her career, Marie Elena has reached more than 350,000 students, parents, educators, and professionalsthrough schools, libraries, churches, festivals, and conferences across the U.S., Mexico, Central America, and Europe. Audiences are captivated by her storytelling, poetry, and empowering presentations, as well as her creative art and writing workshops that invite participants to discover the power of “thinking on paper”—using writing as a tool for healing, clarity, reflection, transformation, and growth.        

Today, Cortes shines her beautiful light through writing children’s books, presenting motivational parent & teacher workshops, creating flower crowns, painting dresses, modeling and sharing social media content in different platforms…including her two podcasts on You Tube:

Shine with Marie & Mark

With Mark Sedgwick as a co-host

En ARMONIA con FE

With Fausto Cruz as co-host

Stay connected to see what is next!