Ashley Salvacion, an 18 year old Filipino student, is currently working towards perusing a job in engineering and attending Paaralang Sekundarya ng Lucban-Integrated School, as well as studying an enormous range of subjects such as Entrepreneurship, General Physics1 and General Chemistry 1. She has an appreciation for the facilities supplied, and making the most of the work she has to do. Ashley used to hope that she was going to be just like her sister, however her aspirations changed and now she’s working hard to reach her own aspirations and goals!
What do you like most about your school/college? What would you like to change about it?
I can say that I am fond of how we have the opportunity to use facilities that are not common for other schools, like the laboratory for experiments, the computer facility, and the cooking facilities for the cookery students. I even saw the automotive students working on a Jeep-like car (not that famous a car brand, to be clear). On the other hand, a daily struggle for us STEM students being nearest to the entrance gate is having the canteen at the farthest possible area at our school, affecting our time management for class to attend. But what I really like to change about our curriculum is having scheduled task appointments for students so that we can make the most of it and not be cramped with workloads and submit for the sake of compliance, then leave us with unproductive days.
What is your dream job?
Growing up, I really wanted to pursue engineering like my sister did, as I thought I could make a lot of money out of it, but then I figured things out and learned that I wanted to be a dermatologist, as I enjoy doing research for my skincare routine because my family earns enough for an average living and can’t afford such consultations. Regardless of the gaps, I was able to learn from verified YouTube creators and studies that I am the one being asked for recommendations from my peers who are getting into skincare. But with all of these, I still had to choose practicality and pursue one of the available college programs at the nearest university, which my family agreed on: either mechanical engineering or electrical engineering.
What is the best thing about being a teenager in your country?
It was hard to admit that it took me a lot of time to come up with an answer to this, but as I observed, our government allows teenagers of legal age to participate in making the community better by appointing them to make projects for the children, and some of these projects include creating a program for sports, pageantry, and small parties or events for kids before or after Christmas.
What languages do you speak?
As a Filipino-born individual, I was thought to have learned my mother tongue, which is referred to as Tagalog, and the English language at the same time. One of my hobbies is watching anime, Korean drama, Chinese drama, Thai drama, and Japanese drama, which enabled me to understand some of their language, especially Korea’s Hangul, as their writing is so basic that I learned it in just one day.
What country would you like to visit, and why?
In the future, I would like to visit Switzerland or New Zealand, as these places offer peaceful scenery and environments.
What is your favourite food?
Filipino cuisine offers a lot of different delicious foods, like the famous Adobo dish that everyone is fond of, but for me, Nilagang Baboy, or, in English, boiled pork soup, stands out among the rest. Even better, when served with fish sauce on the side, it makes my day. This perfect combination comes with the rice to balance out the saltiness and tenderness of the dish.
What’s your favourite movie, and why?
My favourite movie of all time would be “Little Women” (2019), directed by Greta Celeste Gerwig, as this exhibits a wide range of emotions from the perspective of the siblings. This movie enlightened me on the real deal with women’s oppression in the late century and how hard women have fought for gender equality. What mostly captured me is the principle of Jo March, the second child who carried the burden of wanting to be efficient and not controlled by societal standards.
Where is your quiet place that you go to relax, or is there anything you do instead?
I am an ambivert type of individual, but most of the time I find relaxation in my room, where I can just lay and do some of my hobbies like binge watching, reading books, and crocheting. I also got to relax by playing badminton, going to cafés and restaurants with my friends, and talking things out.
If you could only take one thing on a desert island, what would you take?
I will bring a book with tips on how to survive or even leave the deserted island, and may this include some life journeys to keep me motivated throughout my stay there.
If you could have dinner with any one celebrity, who would you choose?
I would like to have dinner with Taylor Swift, as she inspired me to live life how I like it.
If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
The ability to fly first comes to mind, as this will enable me to go anywhere free of any gas or transportation fares.
