It’s dark in the theater, the audience is rustling in their seats. Slowly, the curtain moves across the stage, sweeping the ground as a single spotlight shines on the center of the stage floor. The sound of the orchestra from the pit carefully crescendos, as a lone voice joins in their beautiful song. For senior Ashley Techavimol, this scene is her home away from home.

“I love music. I love doing chamber orchestra, and all the plays. They are such a great experience,” Techavimol said.

Techavimol has always been interested in music and plays many different instruments including the violin, viola, guitar, and piano. She has also been involved in all the musicals at the high school, relishing in her opportunity to show off her talent to the crowds. The musicals also give a chance to step out of her comfort zone and try new things. Her favorite musical of her high school career was Hairspray, partly because of the leading role she had in the production.

“I was a lead, and other people look up to (leads),” Techavimol said. “That was cool. I made a lot of great friends.”

Besides musicals, singing, and orchestra, Techavimol is also an avid competitor in Debate. She has been competing in Debate for the last three years, where she has gone to State every year, and has even qualified for the National competition her junior and senior years. Techavimol competes in Oratory, which is a fancy way of saying persuasive speaking. Techavimol has become a main part of the debate squad, partly due to her personal manner and approach to the way she presents herself on the stage.

“What sets Ashley apart is her unique style. She has a kind of frantic personal style which the audience really likes. Her message is nice to listen to because it is more personal,” WHS Debate Coach Dave Carlson said. “A lot of others are very robotic, very scripted. Ashley is never robotic.”

Her friends also feel she has a unique way about her.

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For all seniors, the question of “What are you going to be when you grow up?” really gets them. Techavimol, however, has already been training for what she wants to spend the rest of her life doing. Techavimol is planning on attending the University of Washington this fall and majoring in speech-language pathology. She has been working at the Achieve Center in the speech-language pathology department to help get her ready for college and beyond.

“I worked under all the licensed pathologists. It was an eye-opening experience. When you do debate, everyone there is already articulate and can speak well. It was interesting to know there were people who aren’t as articulate as the people I hang around with.”

Even though she has a goal in mind, she doesn’t like to make it to set in stone.

“Plans and goals are good, don’t get me wrong,” Techavimol said. “But when you have a destination, it makes it so much harder to get there. I want to go wherever life takes me, except no 100-degree weather and humidity all the time. So, essentially, not Texas.