Our angel, Essence Joyce-Tena N'tcham'po entered this world on July 20, 2001 to parents, Tessa Scott &
Arnaud N'tcham'po.
Essence was born and raised in Sacramento, CA, but made multiple visits to France to visit her father
and other extended family. It was there that she acquired a love of authentic French and African cuisine.
She attended Mary Tsukamoto Elementary School and T.R. Smedberg Middle School. While she was set
to attend Sheldon High School, Essence's passion of cooking and baking led her to enroll at Cosumnes
Oaks High School where she was able to hone in and perfect her already unparalleled culinary skills. She
felt at home in the kitchen and just recently enrolled in culinary classes at Cosumnes River College. She
often made elaborate meals for her Aunt Tracy, for whom she served as a caregiver for several years.
Essence's other talents included modeling and acting, with her obtaining an entertainment work permit
at the age of 5. Her outgoing and vivacious demeanor made her an absolute natural in front of the
camera. She has also been credited on IMDb for films, "Motherless" and "The Unnamed".
Essence owned a spirit of service, often volunteering with her mom to serve Sunday dinner at St. John's
shelter, feeding the homeless, working at the Sacramento Food Bank, serving on the All Saint's Episcopal
Church Altar Guild, occasionally helping out with All Saint's Sunday school class, and accompanying her
brother Paul to his basketball games.
As most knew, Essence was the life of the party. Her laughter permeated any space that she occupied
and she made friends easily with her engaging and affectionate personality. There was never a dull
moment with her and she possessed an innate ability to make others laugh.
Her memory will forever live on through her mother & step-father, Tessa (Brandon), father Arnaud,
grandmothers: Lynn, Solange, & Chantal, grandfathers: James & Paul, brother Paul "Tendo", Aunt Tracy
(by whom she was affectionately nicknamed, "Owl"), and a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.
Essence left an indelible print on everyone that she met and will be deeply missed.