Aya Fernandez
Julieane Fernandez, better known by her stage name Aya Fernandez, is a Filipina beauty queen, actress, and host. She was crowned as Miss Teen Earth 2015 and went to become the Dreamgirl of the Year International in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia while representing the country as Mutya ng Pilipinas Tourism International 2018. She’s the founder of the sustainable social enterprise called Project Lily, which, according to one of her interviews, aims to “employ and empower persons with disabilities (PWDs) to manufacture environmentally-friendly charcoal made from water hyacinth, coconut husk, and other agricultural waste”. This thesis-slash-passion project, which she funded using her savings, eventually turned into a full-blown social enterprise and got her nominated as one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Youth Leaders in 2016 and of the youngest recipients of Go Negosyo’s 2018 Inspiring Women Awardees. Aside from acting and hosting, she’s also into singing, dancing (as she used to be an active member of UP Streetdance Club), boxing, practicing martial arts, and playing volleyball. She’s a certified scuba diver as well, under the Philippine Association of Underwater Activities.