Student Spotlight: Ashley Boudreaux

Ashley Boudreaux is a Florida State University student and Presidential Scholar set to graduate in Spring 2026 with dual bachelor’s degrees in creative writing and interdisciplinary humanities alongside a French minor, all through the College of Arts and Sciences. She is currently an honors colloquium leader through the FSU Honors Program and an editorial assistant for Southeast Review, a national literary magazine housed in FSU’s Department of English. Before taking these positions, Boudreaux was an incoming class representative for the Presidential Scholars Program — a premier merit scholarship at FSU providing four years of support for undergraduate students with extraordinary potential to be transformative leaders of their generation — and director of the Student Government Association’s Office of the Mental Health Council, which connects students with mental health resources and advocacy opportunities.

Tell us about your background, where you’re from and what brought you to FSU.

While attending high school in Sarasota, Florida, I explored my love of English. After being accepted into FSU’s English major, I was invited to interview for the Presidential Scholars Program. While I planned to leave Florida for college, I knew FSU was the right place for me after that interview weekend.

What inspired you to pursue dual degrees in creative writing and interdisciplinary humanities?

I always wanted to pursue English and something involving social justice. I was drawn to the interdisciplinary nature of the humanities program.

What aspect of your areas of study do you find most rewarding?

Taking writing workshop classes, particularly poetry workshops, through the Department of English has been very satisfying. It’s been creatively inspiring and professionally lucrative to be surrounded by people who are passionate and knowledgeable about poetry.

Within the Program in Interdisciplinary Humanities, I’ve enjoyed taking classes that broaden my perspectives like Francophone Afrotopias, a course taught by assistant professor of French and French graduate advisor Michelle Bumatay. The class examined poetry, novels, and films by Francophone African authors and their commentaries on postcolonial Africa. These courses have given me the opportunity to learn about and understand cultural information I wouldn’t have encountered otherwise and have motivated me to continue expanding my world through different courses.

Tell us about your experiences in the Presidential Scholars Program.

The mentorship and support I’ve received through the Presidential Scholars Program have been critical in figuring out my footing at FSU. The program and the scholarship have encouraged and enabled me to set even bigger goals for my future and my current studies.

This program has made such an impact on me, and I wanted to pay it forward to the new cohorts. In 2022, I began serving as the program’s incoming class representative. I helped grow a system to support and give advice to aspiring Presidential Scholars in the weeks leading up to and following their interview weekend, and I collaborated on a separate program to connect new scholars with part-time mentors in the program before they receive their full-time mentor mid-semester.

Tell us about your experiences as an honors colloquium leader.

I really enjoy the creative freedom colloquium leaders have when teaching outlined topics. The two groups of students I taught were very different in terms of engagement, which showed me a lot about adaptability. My first class was quieter, so I implemented introspective and individual work while my second class was much more talkative, leading me to create interactive and engaging group lessons.

What has your experience as an editorial assistant with Southeast Review been like?

Sophia Shealy, my former Research, Genre, and Context instructor and now a content writer for FSU’s Office of Digital Learning and Academic Technology, was the fiction editor of Southeast Review at the time and encouraged me to apply for an internship. As an intern, I worked on social media, fundraising and selecting poetry submissions –– my favorite task. From every 150 poems, I recommended two to three poems for publication. Then, we had a table read of all the selected poems and determined which pieces would be published.

After my internship, I was asked to stay on with the Southeast Review as an editorial assistant. In this position, I’ve been able to continue my previous work while exploring new aspects of publishing like sequencing and digital design.

You previously served as executive director for SGA’s Office of the Mental Health Council. What was this experience like?

Growing up, I was always passionate about mental health, and I knew I wanted to be an advocate in college. During my freshman year, a fellow Presidential Scholar suggested I apply for the mental health council’s assistant director position, and I was accepted.

That winter, I became the only board member and stepped into the newly vacant role of director. As director, my goals were to ensure funding for the council and establish a new board. I was so fortunate to work with such incredible faculty and student board members in this role.

What are some current goals or projects that you’re working on?

At the moment, I am working on a creative Honors in the Major project with professor Bumatay, Program in Interdisciplinary Humanities teaching faculty member Christina Owens, Department of English Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor David Kirby, and Department of English senior lecturer and distinguished university scholar Barbara Hamby. I intend to produce a series of poems exploring feminist themes and incorporating French-originated feminist theory. 

Following graduation, what are your plans?

I want to pursue a Master of Fine Arts in poetry, so I’ll be applying to fully-funded master’s programs this year. I want to enroll in a program that emphasizes taking courses in other disciplines so I can continue exploring my interests in the humanities.

I'm also interested in the art of tattooing and shadowed an artist in Sarasota, Florida, during the month of May. Eventually, my dream is to work in the English field while pursuing tattoo artistry on the side.