Ashleigh Boatman

Ashleigh Boatman, Don & Sallie Davis Boys & Girls Club

Career Choice: Entrepreneur/ Business Administrator

“Boys & Girls Clubs has been my personal trainer that pushed me to join programs when I didn’t really want to. I am so thankful that they have given me a chance to succeed in life instead of letting me fail.”

When she was 13 years old, Ashleigh’s mom was sentenced to four years in prison, leaving her and her three siblings in a motherless family. She assumed many of the responsibilities for her younger siblings while attending school full time and working a part-time job to take some of the pressure off of her grandmother’s shoulders.

Despite the demands of her course load, extracurricular activities, community involvement and family responsibilities, Ashleigh flourished at Boys & Girls Clubs, refusing to buckle under the stress. She was picked as one of the Peer Educators to facilitate the Making Proud Choices program to other youth and she enthusiastically recruited 15 to 20 teens to come to class. She developed and successfully implemented a program targeting 9 to 12 year-old girls to discuss conflict management/resolution, stress indicators and interpersonal communication in relationships. Ashleigh also participated in the Above the Influence panel with six other teens and shared her perspective on how teens in the community can better stand up to negative influences and make smart decisions.

Ashleigh naturally stands out as a role model for others in her community. She is a peacemaker for those around her, a counselor to her friends, a role-model for her little sisters and a source of pride to her family. Ashleigh has big dreams for life: she is determined to take charge of her own life and is determined to achieve the education she will need to reach her goals.

“I do not want to be a product of my environment. I want to set an example for my siblings and model what a post-high school education can do for your life.”