Monique Rosario is a Southern California native. Her mother was born and raised in Quezon City, and her father from Huntsville, Alabama. "The Knockout Game", her writing/acting debut, was selected to the Cannes Festival Short Film Corner (2014), the Santa Barbara International Film Festival (2014) and won best narrative short film at the Oceanside International Film Festival (2015). She attributes her love for stories about fierce, audacious women with heart to the influence of her mother and Lola upon her life.