Ashley Park is currently a junior studying nursing at the University of Portland. She was born and raised in Astoria, Oregon and decided to stay in Oregon for college because she loves it so much. Ashley is a RA on the third floor in Mehling after living there her first two years at UP. Ashley is always happy and bubbly, decorating the hall for the season and making the floor cookies. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to ask her a few questions about herself and her aspirations for the future. I think you will find, as I have, that Ashley is an enthusiastic and kind person who is ready to make a change in the world.
HC: What made you decide to go to school here, at UP?
AP: As soon as I stepped onto the campus I loved it. Everything was so pretty. My tour guide was so friendly and during the tour, people were kindly holding doors open and smiling at us. It was a very welcoming environment and I felt very comfortable. I also loved the size of the campus. You will know enough people to say a friendly hi in passing. I feel very blessed to go here. I know I made the right choice.
HC: What made you want to apply to be an RA?
AP: I love being involved and I wanted to become more involved within the UP community and more specifically the Mehling community. I wanted to be a leader on campus and get to know the underclassmen and make them feel welcome. I always had good experiences with my RA’s. I would say they inspired me to take the job. I am also very excited to say that I have a beta fish, Finn, who keeps the room lively.
HC: Why did you choose to major in nursing?
AP: I always knew I wanted to do something in the medical field. My dad is a doctor and my mom is a nurse. I just always wanted to be able to help others. There are many options out there in the medical field. I chose nursing because there is more one-on-one time with people so you are able to help others on a more personal basis. Next semester I will going to clinical two times per week.
HC: What would you say your goal for the future is?
AP: I’m going to be a nurse. I would like to stay in Portland or anywhere in Oregon. My family lives here and I’m very close with them. However, I would love to travel too. A while back I thought that becoming a traveling nurse would be fun. We’ll see how it goes.
HC: Do you like to travel? Where have you been?
AP: I do like to travel. I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to travel. I’ve been to Korea, Canada, Guam, Turkey, Greece, and Germany. My family has traveled quiet a bit throughout the U.S. My first independent trip was to Guam.
HC: What do you like to do in your free time? What are some of your hobbies?
UP: I love food. I really enjoy finding new restaurants and food around the Portland area. I also like to decorate cakes! When I was younger I participated in 4H Cake Decorating. We would decorate styrofoam pieces with buttercream frosting, which were then judged. I participated in a lot of fairs and won ribbons. It was so much fun! I also love unwinding by watching YouTube.