Student wants to use her voice for important causes

HARLINGEN — She’s concerned about animal cruelty.

She wants to use her voice for women’s rights.

Ava Salgado loves the range of the flute, the social energy of volleyball, and the opportunities in track.

And Ava, 13, wants to be a teacher — or a lawyer.

The Vela Middle School eighth grader has already made a name for herself in many avenues of life. Last month she helped put her school on the map as a national finalist for poetry at the National Speech and Debate Association Middle School Nationals.

In that event, she performed the poem “The Abridged History of America” so well that she was ranked sixth in the nation. The piece addressed a number of social causes, and her selection of the work reflects very well her interest in important issues around the world.

“I think I want to talk more on cruelty free in animal testing which is something I’ve researched a lot about,” she said. “It’s really interesting to me, and I think I could use my voice better in that aspect.”

She’s also concerned about women’s rights.

“I know there as been a lot of change in movements and laws,” she said. “I know I could use my voice to amplify others who maybe can’t.”

Ava’s life is one of texture, complexity and balance. Interwoven with her social conscience run powerful currents of athletic ability and musical acumen.

“I’m in band, I do volleyball and golf and track,” she said. “I play the flute in honors band. We go to a lot of competitions, and we play our music that we have been practicing.”

Ava has been playing the flute for two years and she conveys a fine admiration for the instrument and its possibilities.

“I started in sixth grade,” she said. “The instrument itself has a very pretty sound and it’s really fun to play because it has a good range. You can just play so much emotion with it.”

She and her fellow musicians didn’t get to play much at pep rallies or other grand gatherings the past couple of years because of COVID restrictions. However, she looks forward to performing in more events this coming year and those that follow when she starts play for the Harlingen High School South Hawk band.

Ava has shown her desire to exercise her oratory and musical skills to an advanced degree as well as academic prowess — she’s in the top 12 in her class. But all of this would possibly be hindered were it not for her strong physical health. She has maintained that very well with her participation in a variety of athletics.

“My favorite sport is volleyball,” she said with zest. “I’ve been doing it since elementary, but I really got into it this past year in seventh grade because there are so many different types of girls there and it’s a big sport and there are lots of people so it’s a lot of fun and you meet new people.”

She enjoys track for the same reason.

“It’s very social,” said Ava, who has competed in shotput and discus.

“There are a lot of people and there are a lot of events that you can take part in, so you’re not limited to one thing,” she said.

Certainly Ava is not limited in any sense of the word. Music, athletics, and social issues of the day — she seems powered by a passion toward adventure and intrigue and a desire to explore. Her social conscience seems the main powerhouse for so many of her endeavors, so it’s no surprise she has a fondness for social studies. More specifically, she likes exploring social issues in a historical context.

“I think those things are really interesting and there are a lot of different social experiments and issues you can look into,” she said. “It’s really interesting to see everything and the differences and the changes throughout history.”

She’s set to pursue an active career helping people — and the possibilities for that have no limits.

“I have a lot of different career paths that I’m interested in,” she said. “I haven’t really decided yet, but I am interested in being a teacher or a lawyer. I like helping people so I’m looking into that for my career path.”