– the next Miss Guyana?

Ashley John is the face of the cable news programme, the News Room, and we dare say she has won over viewers with her solid presentation.But now, she faces the task of winning over the judges and standing above the 13 other competitors in this year’s Miss Universe Guyana Pageant.

The line-up is packed with experienced women who have been on the stage before and who have won time and time again, such as Rafieya Husain who ended Guyana’s losing streak at the Miss World pageant two years ago, and Soyini Fraser, who has represented Guyana at regional pageants, and at the international Miss Earth pageant.

But, the “newcomer” tag is one Ashley has no qualms about carrying and she has already developed the “congeniality” gene, telling us that she really intends to have no catfights in the journey to the pageant, which will take place next month.

Ashley John was born on 11th January, 1992 to Lennox and Moufousa John, better known as “Uncle John” and “Aunty Stay.”

She takes great pride in being the youngest daughter with four elder sisters and two brothers, and she counts their experiences and challenges as learning opportunities.

A fusion of East Indian and Afro-Guyanese heritage, Ashley had a strict upbringing, saying her parents instilled in her values and morals which have molded her into the young lady she is today.

Joining the pageant was almost instinctive, she told us, as it offers a platform to channel her knowledge, skills, and yes, her sense of humour, into initiatives dear to her heart and that would prove beneficial to others.

Her platform is called “FIT 360: Empowering Youth to Unlock a Healthy Mind, Body & Lifestyle.” It seems to encourage teenagers and young adults to embrace a “healthy” life in a holistic fashion.

She noted that health, as defined by the World Health Organization, is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

Ashley believes that what constitutes a healthy lifestyle is a healthy mind, that is, ensuring you discover yourself, gain self-confidence while accepting yourself and making an impact in your community.

She said too that proper nutrition is important, as we need nutrients that will fuel our bodies and minds to carry out our daily duties.

She believes that the Nation’s Youth is not only one of the most important group but also the most vulnerable.

“Our suicide rates are both staggering and heartbreaking and if I can contribute by making one child happier, healthier and wiser, I am satisfied.”

Education
Ashley travelled through her Nursery, Primary and Secondary Education at Mae’s Schools, with one academic year at Joseph’s High.

Ashley’s genuine enthusiasm to partake in school activities was evident as she explored cycling, swimming and running during Inter-House School Sports.

After Graduating from Mae’s Secondary, she moved on to Nation’s Sixth Form College and she considers her time there as instrumental as it went beyond studying. It allowed her to part take in Service Projects at the St. Ann’s Orphanage where she would visit and engage girls and young ladies on a weekly basis, often playing sports together and completing home-work assignments.

Although each of these girls faced their own challenges, they subconsciously unveiled Ashley’s natural ability to connect with people and this she believes is a priceless trait from her father.

Despite being born into a family of business, it was at this point she began to discover herself and explored other career options, leading her to pursue English Language and Psychology at A-Levels.

Ashley convinced her parents she wanted to study “Broadcast Media” at University and after much thought, they approved with her father’s closing remarks being, “I ain want to hear ya mek a mistake.” The deal was signed with Ashley’s ear-to-ear smile and after working at the family business during her gap year, she merrily went off to Kent, United Kingdom to pursue her Degree in Broadcast Media.

Her time spent at The University for the Creative Arts pushed her to excel not only as a foreign student, but as the lone child that chose a different path from her brilliant sisters.

After three years, Ashley earned a First Class Honours Degree in Broadcast Media, gaining knowledge in Television Production from script writing to filming and editing. Depending who is asked, some would say “there’s no scope in Guyana for that”, but Ashley was decisive and without a shadow of doubt she was adamant that she was returning to Guyana.

Ashley prepared her applications and the job hunt in Guyana’s rather small industry had commenced. Shortly after, she secured her first job at Television Guyana/Channel 28 based on her interview and qualifications.

It was here she served as Resident Producer, and started the station’s debut Breakfast Show, called “The Morning Times” which she also began to Host. After one year, Ashley opened a new chapter, joining the News Room Team, where she serves at the News Anchor.

Ashley considers the Miss Universe Guyana journey as a stepping stone for much greater things to come and hopes her journey encourages other young women to explore and do things they never imagined they could do.
Follow Ashley on her Jounrey across all of her social media platforms. Facebook: @IamAshleyJohn, Instagram: @IamAshleyJohn and Snapchat :AshleyJohn11