01 Jul 2023 Youth of the Month: Ella Boudrie

By Stefanie Brazile

Ella Boudrie has had a busy senior year of academics, volunteerism and art.

Volunteering has been an important part of Ella’s high school career and has had a huge impact on her life. “My volunteer experiences throughout high school have introduced me to all types of people throughout my community and have given me a new perspective on the people I am surrounded by everyday. I have gained so much empathy in the last four years from the first-hand interactions I’ve had with others in difficult situations,” she said.

Ella, a resident of Conway, is the daughter of Chris and Laura Boudrie. She has two younger siblings. Lily is 16 and Landon is 12.

“I was honored to be named salutatorian of Conway High School class of 2023, and I graduated with distinguished high honors,” she said. Ella is also a National Merit scholar. Her college plans are taking her from the Natural State to the Sunshine State, where she will attend the University of Florida at Gainesville to study political science. She then plans to attend law school.

At Conway High School, Ella was very involved in Key Club, a community service organization sponsored by the Kiwanis of Conway Arkansas. Kiwanis International has more than 550,000 members in 80 countries and geographic areas who are dedicated to improving the lives of children through local clubs.

Ella obtained more than 100 community service hours through Key Club and was elected president her senior year. “As president, I had to dedicate a lot of time and hard work to ensure the club ran smoothly,” she said. Her responsibilities included recruiting volunteers, leading service projects and running bi-weekly meetings for more than 100 members.

Ella has also served as director of the Community Connections respite care program for families with disabled children, which she calls “an enriching experience.” The program takes place one Saturday morning a month at the Faulkner County Library. Volunteers entertain children with books, games and crafts while their parents get a break. “We take care of anywhere from 10 to 20 kids. We are incredibly thankful for the volunteers who help us ensure the kids are entertained and having fun while their parents connect with other parents in similar situations or take time to care for themselves,” Ella said.

Through Key Club, she also volunteered with other organizations, including Cradle Care, Kiwanis of Conway Arkansas and local elementary schools. She was also a participant in the 20th Judicial District Teen Court Program, which allows high school seniors to participate in real juvenile court cases and fill the roles of defense and prosecuting attorneys, jurors, bailiffs and court clerks.

“The volunteer work I did through this program not only benefited the young adults who received alternative, personalized consequences by a court of their peers, but benefitted me by introducing me to real court processes and teaching me forgiveness of mistakes. Teen court was one of my favorite volunteer experiences, and I highly recommend it to upcoming seniors,” Ella said.

Her most cherished possessions are her art supplies. They have allowed her to further develop her passion for art and create her own painting business called Ella’s Paint. She creates vibrant, university-themed paintings for college students to hang in their dorm rooms.

“I have hundreds of paint colors, paint brushes, colored pencils and a wide variety of sketch books and canvases. This year, I took a risk by taking AP studio art in school, and I absolutely thrived while creating my portfolio called “My Future Greenhouse.”

She works at Chick-Fil-A. “I get to talk to so many different people while taking their order in the drive-through and have thoroughly enjoyed each and every role I’ve taken on at the restaurant from cashier to drink maker. Ella is also a tutor for middle and high school students and has helped many students raise their ACT scores.

“I love helping others feel confident in their knowledge and teaching my peers successful tips for the test that will help them get into college.”