A Fashion intern with a keen eye a love for stories. Helena Prudenciado is a 28-year old intern who has worked for South Imus Specialist Hospital and Bayo, a local Filipino-owned Fashion brand. 

A bookworm at heart; as a child, Helena used to draw on walls while she was reading. She noticed the funny cartoons on the pages.  She was heavily influenced by her surroundings, her feelings, her cravings, and what she’s listening to. Her inspirations also were from anime and manga that caught her eye as a young girl. 

As she was looking for a job, Best Buddies Philippines was the organization that helped Helena with that pursuit. Their organization has a pre-employment program where they would learn different skills — every Saturday.

During work, she felt accomplished when she was given a folder with a number of items to be fixed. She set a schedule for herself to finish things before 4 pm. One time, she helped out with the clothes that they would show in the fashion shows. She noticed that some of the clothes had flaws that needed to be fixed! Saving the fashion show entirely.

Helena struggled, she thought it was hard because she was unsure of her choices. Wondering if she was in the right job. She asked herself, “is it neurodiverse friendly? Is it inclusive?” That is what she was worried about. But during all her doubts, her mother was there for her. When she was going to her pre-employment program in Best Buddies, her mom would review her work first before she submitted. elena believes that parents should let their creative child find their own way: to have their own originality!