"I do a lot of reading, and one of the books I read got to me emotionally. I also research before I write, and this book led me to rape victim websites. It really got to me and inspired me to write," she said.
An avid reader (of five or six books a week - "I'm on a first name basis with the library people") she confided that English was "definitely" her favourite subject.
"It's a way to express myself. I like forming words and telling a story, writing about topics that nobody talks about," she added. And while she enjoyed writing short stories, poetry was her first love.
"It's such an awesome way to get out everything you're feeling out. And if people can take something away from reading it, that makes it all worthwhile."
She prefers the poetry of teenage writers that she finds on the internet, finding it "more raw an real," but only began taking her own writing seriously a couple of years ago, crediting her mother and her teacher, Ellender Wilson, with motivating and encouraging her.
She has been published once before; a poem she wrote about a rape victim made it into the College Herald last year. The school was contacted because some people were concerned it was a cry for help, Ashlee-Ann justifiably taking pride in writing that had been "so believable."
Ms Wilson described her student as fully engaged student and an absolute pleasure to teach, always interested and keen, but when she first read her poetry she was surprised.
"Ashley-Ann is such a lovely, happy person and her work is quite dark, totally unlike the person she is," she said.
The working arrangement between students and mentors varies because every pairing is different, but generally involves email, phone and skype , given the usual geographic separation. The mentee sends work back and forth to the mentor, who discusses, critiques and assesses.
"Given the calibre of the mentors it is a rare and great opportunity for a young writer," programme manager Kathryn Burnett said.
