Ashley Ott is a twenty-three years old honors graduate of the University of California, Davis. She received a Bachelor’s of Science in Cellular Biology and minors in Chicano Studies and Art Studio and, upon graduation, was one of three students in her major to be recognized for achievements in research and academia. She is currently in the process of applying to medical schools with the goal of obtaining a medical degree in epidemiology. As one of the first members of her family to go to college and a member of the Choctaw Nation, Ashley looks forward to speaking in schools and promoting careers in STEM to children in low income communities.
During her college career, Ashley became particularly interested in the areas of cultural competency and emotional intelligence. She has worked in a variety of clinics, including Clinicá Tepati, a student-run free clinic that serves the Spanish speaking community of Sacramento and also spent three months volunteering in clinics in Oaxaca, Mexico. In the past three summers, Ashley traveled to Honduras to set up mobile clinics and deliver free medications to families in remote areas and, during that time, helped raise over $45,000 worth of medical supplies and medications to donate toward this cause. Last year, Ashley coauthored a book about the role of emotional healing in doctor-patient relationships and, once published, plans to donate completed copies to cancer support groups in the Sacramento area. In 2012, Ashley was awarded the UC Davis Gold Community Service Award in recognition of her passion for volunteerism.
Ashley has been working with the Children's Miracle Network for the past six years and has been a member of the UC Davis Children's Miracle Network Business Council for the past two. She has personally raised over $18,000 for the Children's Miracle Network and now acts on the team that raised over $3,000,000 for children in the Sacramento region during just this year alone. As a community liaison, she has worked in hospitals to speak with nurses about ways the student and local community can best support the children in the pediatric unit and also enjoys playing with the children in these units to ease their stay during this time. This year, Ashley will continue to work with the Children's Miracle Network as President and Founder of the Second Life Organization in Northern California and looks forward to promoting her love for gaming and service to a new and exciting demographic of individuals. This year, Ashley hopes to exceed her fundraising goal of $100,000 with the Second Life Organization, a number that would double the funds raised in 2014.
As a former swimmer, water polo player and archer, Ashley enjoys maintaining an active lifestyle and continues to enjoy hiking and scuba diving around the world. As a cell biology major and future physician, she has also found a particular interest in nutrition and fitness, and maintains a food blog titled Pageant Pantry as a way to educate the community that healthy eating can be both easy and delicious! As a titleholder and a future physician, she looks forward to continue talking to children about fun ways to live a healthy and active lifestyle.
Ashley has been passionate about music from a young age and has learned to play five instruments during her lifetime. She began playing piano when she was four years old and, at the Miss City of Sacramento pageant, Ashley performed Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue”. As a fan of classical music and the works of Liszt, Chopin and Gershwin, she looks forward to performing for a variety of audiences in the Sacramento area.
In 2014, Ashley placed 1st runner up to Miss California and in the top 10 at the National Sweetheart Pageant in Hoopeston, Illinois.
During her college career, Ashley became particularly interested in the areas of cultural competency and emotional intelligence. She has worked in a variety of clinics, including Clinicá Tepati, a student-run free clinic that serves the Spanish speaking community of Sacramento and also spent three months volunteering in clinics in Oaxaca, Mexico. In the past three summers, Ashley traveled to Honduras to set up mobile clinics and deliver free medications to families in remote areas and, during that time, helped raise over $45,000 worth of medical supplies and medications to donate toward this cause. Last year, Ashley coauthored a book about the role of emotional healing in doctor-patient relationships and, once published, plans to donate completed copies to cancer support groups in the Sacramento area. In 2012, Ashley was awarded the UC Davis Gold Community Service Award in recognition of her passion for volunteerism.
Ashley has been working with the Children's Miracle Network for the past six years and has been a member of the UC Davis Children's Miracle Network Business Council for the past two. She has personally raised over $18,000 for the Children's Miracle Network and now acts on the team that raised over $3,000,000 for children in the Sacramento region during just this year alone. As a community liaison, she has worked in hospitals to speak with nurses about ways the student and local community can best support the children in the pediatric unit and also enjoys playing with the children in these units to ease their stay during this time. This year, Ashley will continue to work with the Children's Miracle Network as President and Founder of the Second Life Organization in Northern California and looks forward to promoting her love for gaming and service to a new and exciting demographic of individuals. This year, Ashley hopes to exceed her fundraising goal of $100,000 with the Second Life Organization, a number that would double the funds raised in 2014.
As a former swimmer, water polo player and archer, Ashley enjoys maintaining an active lifestyle and continues to enjoy hiking and scuba diving around the world. As a cell biology major and future physician, she has also found a particular interest in nutrition and fitness, and maintains a food blog titled Pageant Pantry as a way to educate the community that healthy eating can be both easy and delicious! As a titleholder and a future physician, she looks forward to continue talking to children about fun ways to live a healthy and active lifestyle.
Ashley has been passionate about music from a young age and has learned to play five instruments during her lifetime. She began playing piano when she was four years old and, at the Miss City of Sacramento pageant, Ashley performed Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue”. As a fan of classical music and the works of Liszt, Chopin and Gershwin, she looks forward to performing for a variety of audiences in the Sacramento area.
In 2014, Ashley placed 1st runner up to Miss California and in the top 10 at the National Sweetheart Pageant in Hoopeston, Illinois.
