Sylvia

On her passion:

I enjoy expressing myself and speaking my mind through art. Personally, I’m all over the place! I don’t focus on just one medium because I like to explore my talents and other avenues. Anything that allows my own style to come out and my personality to shine keeps me going. I have yet to find my true calling!

On her advocacies:

Helping people gives me happiness. Whether it’s volunteering in a program, party planning, or simply being a kitchen assistant, I find great joy in making an impact on others. I care about people a lot especially children. It’s my dream to be part of UNICEF! I really hope to tick that off my bucket list one day.

Her take on confidence and body image:

I’m still working on my self-confidence just like anybody else. Yes it’s challenging, but I realized that only I can take charge of building it up. The trick is to not be reliant on others for validation and approval. We all have the right to feel good about ourselves, so it’s important to make time to nourish our own needs- physical, mental and social. Simple truth is, be careful with your thoughts, change small habits, and don’t be hard on yourself! Every day is a chance to make things better. Do your own thing and just remember: you’re only given one body. Love it and treat it well!

Words she would have like to have heard at the most vulnerable point in her life:

I faced a lot of criticism during my last 2 years in college. I was aware I was struggling with extra weight from all my travels, but it got to a point where all the side comments left an emotional scar. I’m incredibly blessed with supportive friends so they helped me snap out of it by sending words of encouragement in the morning (it was the nicest thing to wake up to!). My best friend once told me, “That gorgeousness doesn’t come from your body- it’s the way you light up a room when you walk into it, the special way you make people feel when you talk to them, and the sparkle that comes out when you flash a smile.” My gosh, she was my light everywhere!

On Alba:

Comfortable, fun, and stylish. I think I found my favorite swimwear line! Alba’s guaranteed to have a suit perfect for you no matter what body type you have. The second I wore Alba, I felt good inside and out! I didn’t even think about my stomach rolls or my stretch marks, I just enjoyed every moment of the shoot and gave more love to my body. I’m very thankful to the chicas behind Alba because it’s taken me a long time to embrace the skin I’m in. So stop hiding your beautiful bod, appreciate what it’s done for you, and get yourself an Alba swimwear!