Manila: She had always dreamed of becoming a flight attendant to see various countries and be immersed in different cultures. However, a totally different field landed her on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) stage, despite withdrawing from college. Hannah Krystelle Caintic enrolled in a Tourism course last year, but had to stop after one semester because of financial struggles.
According to Philippines News Agency, inspired by the works of her uncle, who is a video editor, the 20-year-old Hannah decided to enroll in a free graphic design course at the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), which ran for several days. Seeing her potential, TESDA entered Hannah into the Philippine National Skills Competition held at the World Trade Center in August 2024. She grabbed the highest score in the competition and was dubbed the "best of the nation."
Encouraged by her mentor, Hannah took a step forward to represent the country in the Graphic Design Technology category of the recently concluded WorldSkills ASEAN Manila. She bagged the gold medal, winning against 12 competitors. Hannah exuded confidence as she spoke with the Philippine News Agency in an interview on Wednesday. Aside from having gone through a three-week rigorous training, she said believing in herself contributed a lot to winning the competition. "As they say, if you want to become a winner, think and act like a winner," she said.
The WorldSkills ASEAN, she said, was very strict and very tough. All throughout the three-day competition, participants in the Graphic Design category were given different tasks, such as creating a logo, a brochure, and designing packaging. This made Hannah learn how to handle stress and surprises. "The competition also focused on our weaknesses. Example is the technical aspect. Did we use the right spacing in texts?" she recalled. Hannah said they had to do different designs each day, and experts representing the ASEAN countries would judge these. In creating a logo for an existing brand, for instance, judges would look to see if their works expressed the message or values of that brand, she explained.
Although Hannah said she was overwhelmed when she learned that she would be joining the ASEAN competition, she said she was also excited to learn new things and talk to new people. "The experience also taught time management and how to work fast without reducing the quality," she said.
Asked what advice she could give young people like her, Hannah said, "Find ways to thrive. Find opportunities where you want to succeed. Rest, but don't give up." She said she plays games and talks to friends to cope with stress. Hannah said she plans to get a part-time job so she can return to college and pursue a course in Multimedia Arts. She also cited the many opportunities in tech-voc education, urging people not to belittle it. As a gold medalist in WorldSkills ASEAN, Hannah received PHP100,000 from TESDA and was promised an ambassadorship. This November, she will compete in the WorldSkills Asia to be held in Taipei.
