“It is important to be confident because that leads to your dignity and grace as a person. The two most important things you never want to lose in your life is your dignity and grace. It is always better to be classy; it will get you way farther in life and you will continue to stay much happier,” said North Penn High School junior Gabrielle Salvino.

To the world she may seem like an ordinary teenage girl with an ordinary agenda. What the world does not know is that this seemingly simple 17 year old embodies fashion as one of her biggest philosophies.

Salvino’s passion for fashion ignited during her early teenage years where she found much of her inspiration from one of the most popular websites in the world: YouTube.

“Being on social media I got to see a lot of trends and got into my outfits a lot more. I’ve never been the type to just wear Nike shorts everyday and t-shirts,” explained Salvino. “I’ve always been the type that wants to look good because I feel like it helps me with my self esteem and feeling good.”

Salvino is already on her way to achieving her dream of pursuing a career in fashion merchandising. The 17 year old fashionista was recently accepted into a summer program for one of the most prestigious fashion schools in the country: Marist College.

“You get to experience college life for two weeks in a dorm and it’s just an eye opener for college life. It’s nice to be able to study what you want to do and make sure that you like it first, so you don’t have to change your major,” explained Salvino.

The two week program includes attending fashion merchandising classes, visiting New York City on field trips, and most importantly, forming connections.

“More than the classes there, it’s a lot of meeting people from around the country and getting to know them,” said Salvino.

Body positivity is one of the most difficult things for women to achieve and maintain. In a world with social media sources like Instagram, often times it is easy for young women to let comparison creep in. Salvino uses fashion as a weapon against comparison, and instead embraces her insecurities.

“Fashion is important to me because it has made me realize who I am as a person, what I love, and who I want to be. I think if you’re wearing what you love, you are more confident and happy. I think that’s a fact, at least for me” said Salvino.

Salvino is an active participant in key club and FBLA. Her activities outside of school include babysitting, working at Chick-fil-a, and another one of her passions; dance.

“Dance is definitely a stress reliever. I’ve always just loved dancing, even at school dances I loved dancing. It boosts your energy and confidence. Of course you get nervous cause everyone gets nervous. I’ve never really been the type to have stage fright,” stated Salvino.

As senior year is approaching, Salvino wants to focus her energy on joining more clubs, perfecting her grades, and completing more volunteer work.  After graduation, the NPHS junior has big ambitions to enter the fashion world.

“My neighbor’s daughter-in-law started an online company called Lively. She has her headquarters in New York so I got to go visit there, and I’m hoping to intern there when I’m out of college, or during college,” added Salvino.

At the end of the day, other people’s opinions about ourselves do not matter. The only thing that matters is what we think about ourselves. Salvino encourages teen girls to explore their fashion, and grow their confidence.

“Confidence is never wanting to be anyone but yourself,” conluded Salvino.