Face 50.
My name is Thalia and I am 12 years old. I attend The English School in Kuwait. I'm British but have never lived in the U.K. I was born in Malaysia and then moved to Indonesia. I've travelled the world with my family and love exploring new places and learning about the cultures, history and geography of different countries in the world. When I visit these places, I really love learning about animals and plants. I love animals and I really want to work in a job where I can help them and improve the quality of their lives.
Until then, I want to carry on with my hobbies like music, drama and sport. I have played the clarinet for four years and I am working my way through my music grades. I also love performing on stage in productions. Most recently, I was in my school production called, ‘The Wizard of Oz’, and I played the role of Tin Man. I am now rehearsing for the, ‘Sound of Music’.
I absolutely love sport and have been selected for the BSME (British Schools in the Middle East, 2016-2018) sports teams for the past two years. My favourite sport is netball, but I also play football, swimming and shot put. I am doing my PADI open water qualification as I love the ocean and enjoy learning about the diverse fish life all over the world. Some of my favourite subjects in school are Math’s and Science and I have been fascinated to learn about Charles Darwin’s theories.
My dream since I was 7 years old is to do conservation work around the world, in particular working with endangered species like Orangutans or Tigers. I feel that if I can become a vet I will be able to help and continue my interest in this area. My favourite animal is the Orangutan and whilst visiting the National Parks in Malaysian Borneo, I instantly fell in love with them. My interest in Orangutans continued whilst living in Indonesia as the effect of forest fires causing habitat destruction, the illegal animal trade and ill treatment of Orangutans was brought to my attention whilst studying a rainforest unit of work at school.
I was fortunate enough to visit Animal Sanctuary Trust, Indonesia which, is an organisation that rehabilitates endangered species of animals then releases them back into their natural habitats. I learnt a lot about the rescue of poached birds, mammals and reptiles, some of which have suffered at the hands of hunters or have been caught in traps. This team inspired me to then visit Samboja Lodge which, is used by the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation in Indonesian, Borneo. I had first-hand experience of caring for the Bornean Orangutans and Sun Bears, learning about their rehabilitation, reintroduction to their habitat and long-term conservation of one of the oldest primary rainforests in the world. After my visit, I became more determined than ever to graduate as a vet.
I want to make a worthwhile difference to the lives of these beautiful, fascinating animals.