Outside Of The Villa, ‘Love Island’ Star ‘Amaya Papaya’ Has Her Career In Cardiac Nursing And Major Brands Waiting To Work With Her
Amaya Espinal, also known as “Amaya Papaya,” may have a new career once she exits the villa.
From A Nurse To A Reality TV Star
The 25-year-old from New York is a first-generation American with roots in the Dominican Republic and is among the cast members on Season 7 of Peacock’s “Love Island USA”. Her search for love could lead to a $100,000 prize, one she may split with her partner if they make it to the finale — unless one of them decides to take it all. Espinal, who is currently coupled up with fellow cast member Bryan Arenales, has quickly become a fan favorite among viewers for wearing her heart on her sleeve. She already has a viral sound on platforms such as TikTok, where she currently has 2.3 million followers (at the time of this writing).
@printedofperfection Song of the summer ✨ #fyp #loveislandusa #casaamor #amayapapaya
A personal moment was captured of her singing in front of a mirror on the show. The sound bite of the original song has gone viral, and users can now see a portion of the lyrics in a ticker tape pop-up message accompanied by a papaya emoji when they Google her name, notes USA TODAY.
“We love to celebrate fun moments in pop culture by creating delightful surprises when people come to Search looking for information about iconic TV shows, films and more,” a Google spokesperson told the outlet.
Beyond the villa, Espinal is a cardiac nurse, USA Today shares. After completing high school, she entered into a two-year nursing program, according to a video shared on Youtube. Reaching the finish line presented its challenges. She even failed a class by two points in nursing school, but after a period of grief she made the decision to put her all into her studies.
@amayaelizabeth_
“I decided to stop being depressed, to start taking actions. Because like I said before, I wasn’t really bad at balancing my school life, my social life, my work life. I already cut my hours at work in half, and I didn’t care if it meant me being tight with money for that semester,” she explained in a TikTok video from 2023. “If I needed to work less in order for me to pass through school, that’s what I was going to do. I also ended my relationship, and I became single. I no longer had a boyfriend to be worried about. Anyways, your girl passed nursing school, and if I could do it, you guys could definitely do it. So keep your head strong, and you got this.”
@amayaelizabeth_
Espinal earned her degree in the Spring 2021, which she confirmed in an earlier TikTok video. She also is the first in her family to become a nurse, according to a conversation she had with Arenales on “Love Island USA.”
@amayaelizabeth_
Life Beyond The Villa
With the visibility from “Love Island USA,” it is unclear if Espinal plans to continue a career in nursing. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, Monet McMichael, who graduated from Rutgers Nursing School, made the decision to put her all into content and is now listed on the Forbes 2025 Top Creators list with $7.7 million in earnings. She’s gained brand deals with Hourglass Cosmetics, Anastasia Beverly Hills, and Fenty Beauty.
Espinal is already receiving traction. She also has attracted the attention of Fenty Beauty, earning a follow from the company launched by Rihanna, and a comment under a post shared on March 21 that reads “When ya get your phone back check your DM’s, queen.”
Additionally, Poppi, a prebiotic soda brand that was acquired by Pepsi for $1.95 billion, teased a potential collaboration on Instagram.
“We build” a flavor for you! We never said we were perfect, but this can sure is. let’s pour one out for our fave sensitive gangsta,” the company wrote with emojis referencing the show.
