Working with horses was very calming and therapeutic for Mendoza.
“Horses know how you are feeling even when you are not fully showing it. If I come to the session feeling upset, angry or agitated, the horses can sense it and will reciprocate that same energy,” she said. “It is quite special building a relationship with horses.”
Mendoza recalled a child with cerebral palsy who started the equine therapy sessions timid, unsure and disengaged.
“Initially, he could not hold himself up at all (during the horse rides). But as many months went by, he got stronger – we didn’t need to hold him up anymore. He also became more talkative with us, and more affectionate with the horse, stroking and hugging it,” she said.
In 2024 and 2025, Mendoza also joined A Call To Share (Acts), a Catholic charity, on mission trips to Battambang, Cambodia, teaching English to schoolchildren, as well as befriending children in a girls’ home.
In 2025, Mendoza received the National Youth Achievement Award (NYAA) Gold Award. As part of the programme, participants are required to complete at least 60 hours of community service in 18 months, alongside components such as community leadership, skills development and healthy living to qualify for gold. Mendoza clocked more than 300 volunteer hours.