Ashley Callingbull
AGE: 21 | HEIGHT: 6'0" | HOMETOWN: ENOCH, AB
Ashley Callingbull is a 20 year old university student currently enrolled at Concordia in Edmonton, Alberta and is working towards her BA of Drama. She was born and raised in Enoch, Alberta, and has lived there most of her life. Her dreams in life are to work with underprivileged children teaching and mentoring, using her talents of acting, dancing and singing.
She is very devoted to her culture and people, and takes pride in her Native Cree heritage, and has shown this through her work with community elders and children. The loss of some very close family members have led Ashley to spend a lot of time helping out at hospitals, charities and hospitals throughout Alberta, including the Stollery Children’s Hospital, Walk for the Cure, and Run for the Lung. The tough life situations she has come out of have taught her valuable lessons and, in her opinion, made her the woman she is today. She believes we are all incredibly lucky to be here and wants to make some kind of positive impact on the world.
Ashley has done a lot of voice over work in different languages, been in multiple TV series and done countless musicals. One of her possible means of getting to do what she really wants is through acting and modeling, both life long passions. She has trained in stage combat, musical theatre and other theatrical arts.
She is an incredibly outgoing and unique person, and wishes to bring this to this years competition. She hopes to become the first Cree Miss Universe Canada and open up the world to seeing another very beautiful side of our amazing country.
Questionnaire
Are you currently a student?
If yes, where?
Area of study:
Yes, Concordia University – Majoring in Drama, Minoring in Sociology
Are you currently employed?
If yes, what is your occupation?
N/A
Have you completed secondary school?
If yes, where?
Yes, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology – Diploma in Aviation
Have you completed university/college?
If yes, where?
Yes, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT)
Have you completed any technical/professional school?
If yes, where?
What subject?
Yes, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) – Received Diploma in Aviation
Languages spoken Fluently (please include your native language if English is not your native language)
English and Cree
List any special training you have had (music, art, drama, dance, etc).
Trained in Competitive Ballet, Jazz, Tap, and Pointe – 10 years
Competitive Native Dancing (Jingle) – 10 years
Voice Over Work with Cathy Wesluk - Edmonton, AB
Audition Hell with Peter Skagen – Calgary, AB
Acting Workshop with Matthew Strongeagle & Landon Montour – Edmonton, AB
Acting & Agent Workshop with Darryl Mork – Edmonton, AB
Acting Workshop with Janet Powers – Edmonton, AB
Drama Productions in High School – 3 years
Stage Fighting – 3 years
Stage Singing – 6 years
Equestrian – 8 years
Currently a Full Member in Actra Union - Canada
In what sports, if any, have you participated and how long have you participated in each sport?
Volleyball – 2 years
Track & Field – 3 years
Please list any schools and universities (public/private/graduate/trade or technical) you have or are attending, as well as the area of study, graduation date and any degree or certification you received.
St. Francis Xavier High School – High School Diploma, 2006 – Edmonton, AB
Northern Alberta Institute of Technology – Aviation Diploma, 2008 – Edmonton, AB
Concordia University – Enrolled in Drama Degree Program, 2013 – Edmonton, AB
What charity/charities have you supported with your time and/or resources over past two years?
Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation – NICU
Run For The Cure - Canadian Cancer Foundation
Run For The Lung – Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Festival Of Trees – Children’s Hospital
What would be your "dream job" in life?
I have two “dream jobs”. The first is to complete my Drama Degree and work with underprivileged youth in Canada. The second is to continue modeling and to travel around the world and act as a role-model for youth in our community.
Name one person, other than your parents, who has had the most influence on your life? Why?
My late Kokum (Grandmother in Cree). She helped raise me and showed me unconditional love from the day I was born. Her heart was so big that she raised over 25 foster children. She taught me the importance of my culture and to always be grateful for the things I’ve been given. She also taught me the importance of living, to live for you and the ones you love, and most importantly always love yourself. To devote her life to the ones she loved is something I will have always have the upmost respect for.
What is the proudest personal accomplishment (other than being in this or any other beauty pageant competition)
My most proudest moment would be when I graduated grade 12, because it was my Kokum’s (Grandmother’s) last wish to see me graduate. She was dying of a lung disease called pulmonary fibrosis, and the only time she left the hospital was to attend my graduation. At the banquet I performed by singing in Cree and playing the hand-drum, it was my proudest moment because I got to do something for my Kokum before she passed away and that is something that I can always hold dear.
What is your career ambition and what are you doing or plan to do to accomplish that goal?
I am currently working towards my Degree in Drama at Concordia University, after I receive my Degree I plan to work with underprivileged youth in Native Communities across Canada.
Describe where you were raised and what your childhood was like.
I never had the perfect childhood everyone dreams of. I had an incredibly difficult childhood and was raised mainly by my mother and grandparents. I have never had a proper father figure and grew up in poor conditions. My mother as strong as she is, raised me to be grateful for what I have and showed me all the love in the world. Things that occurred in my childhood were incredibly painful and it is very hard to discuss. It was difficult to grow up the way I did, but it made me appreciate everything I have and most importantly made me the strong woman I am today.
List any interesting or unusual jobs you may have had.
I worked for MADD (Mother’s Against Drunk Driving) – Being a host for videos that are distribute across all schools in Canada.
Doing voice-over work for Cree cartoons and movies.
I am also on the cover poster for a Fight The Violence Ad, to stop abuse in homes.
List any volunteering you have done.
Stollery Children’s Hospital – read to children and worked in concession.
Volunteered at Elder’s Drop-in Center in my community – cooked, cleaned, bingo-caller, and performed dance recitals.
Soup Kitchen – distributing food to the homeless.
Festival Of Trees – selling products, playing with the children and performing dance recitals.
Where is the most interesting place you have been?
I know it’s corny, but Disneyland. It honestly is one of the happiest places in the world. Disneyland and Six Flags Magic Mountain have the best rides, and the experience is something I’ll never forget. No matter how many times I go there, it’s just as fun. It’s my family’s favourite vacation spot and it’s great to be around them and enjoy that experience with them.
What makes you unique and different from the other contestants?
- My culture and where I came from, being a Cree woman makes me different in how I live my life.
- Outgoing, Courageous, and fearless
- Into adventurous sports – surfing, zip lining, cliff diving
- I will always live my life around my culture and experience I’ve been through. I’ve had a very difficult life and it made me who I am today.
- I’m real and true to myself and everyone I meet.
- I’m not perfect, not stick thin and have my flaws. But that’s what young woman should look up to, real woman, not perfection society perceives.
What is your philosophy of/in life?
To live by the quote “I like living. I sometimes been wildly despairingly acutely miserable racked with sorrow, but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing” – Agatha Cristie
This quote is very true to what I believe and what I’ve been though. No matter who you are and what difficulties you face, you must appreciate what you have. And we are all truly lucky to be alive.
What do you hope to be doing in 10 years?
I’d like to be running an after-school and summer programs for youth in acting, sports and whatever they are interested in. I would like to be married with a small family of my own. I plan to raise my children in a better environment with the same love my mother has given me.
Is there anything you would like to tell us about yourself? Something unique that has happened to you? Some interesting thing about you?
I have been on the longest zip line in Canada, it’s the second longest and fastest zip line in the world. It speeds at 140 km/hr and is off a ski-jump in Calgary, AB. I love to do adventurous things like zip lining, surfing and cliff diving. I’m a little bit of a thrill seeker.
http://www.beautiesofcanada.com/
and all sources for the information and pictures)
