“Survival is insufficient” - Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel / Star Trek

Christine Wehrli was born in Bangkok and grew up in multiple locales including Bangladesh, Germany, the Philippines, the United States, and Thailand. She considers herself a TCK, or “Third Culture Kid” and she holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Richmond in Virginia, where she majored in International Studies and minored in French and History. Christine moved to Houston in 2017, which is now the city she has lived in the longest, and currently works as the Community Outreach Programs Manager at Houston Audubon.

Christine initially sought out a new community and hobby to partake in when she moved to Houston. A friend recommended the FYP Houston Cultural Ambassadors to her, and after she attended her first dance practice, the rest was history. FYPCA became a way to embrace an activity she loves (dancing) and explore her roots while growing new ones and building a strong community in Houston.

Christine's goal as FYP Houston's Cultural Heritage Director is to continue to highlight dances from all parts of the Philippines, especially indigenous groups through her work with FYP Cultural Ambassadors. With mentorship from artistic leaders at Parangal, this goal is slowly becoming realized! She is also excited to continue bringing workshops to the public to help connect our shared roots, not just through cultural dance but also shared loves and hobbies such as music, games, cooking, and books! Stay tuned for more news and events from FYPCA!

In her free time, Christine enjoys baking sourdough, birding, board games, dance, theater, and watching rugby (“RIP Sabercats!”). She loves languages and can speak conversational French and Spanish. In the past, she has studied German, Swahili, and Arabic and her goal is to learn at least elementary level Pangasinan (her mother's native language).

In her own words:

“I'm so thankful to FYP for the bonds I've built, the leadership skills I've developed, and the creativity I get to express. It really is a special group!”