Planning Ahead…But Enjoying the Moment

Planning Ahead…

But Enjoying the Moment

Charles Romans

The Ashland Beacon

Greenup County native Ava Dupuy is excited for what the future holds as she finishes her senior year at Greenup County High School. After a stellar high school finish, she plans to attend the University of Kentucky in the fall of 2025, where she will be pursuing a double major in Business Management and Marketing through Lewis Honors College. Dupuy believes that is a natural extrapolation of her endeavors because the graduating senior has already established an online business.

Dupuy said she has worked in retail and small businesses for years. “I decided to open my own business, because that is what I have always been good at,” Dupuy said. “So, I have decided to pursue that.”

The business Dupuy owns and operates is a fully online women’s fashion boutique, Darlings Boutique (darlingsboutique.us), that can be accessed through Facebook and Instagram. The boutique focuses on clothing but also sells button pins, including specialized orders where patrons can have pictures of their sons or daughters, for instance, participating in sports and other school functions.

Mostly during the summer months, she will do ‘pop-up’ retail in person, Dupuy said, but she prefers the online model and believes her customers do as well. But the online business is just the beginning of the goals Dupuy has set for herself.

“I want to work in Economic Development at some point,” Dupuy said, citing that as her primary focus. She said that she has ‘shadowed’ a few individuals in that field who told her their primary job was to market the town or focus region. “So, I figured Marketing would be beneficial for that.” Dupuy also said that after looking at the management versus administration aspects of the field, she believed that marketing suited her best. She does, however, believe that it is necessary to be proficient in all aspects of her chosen field.

Dupuy’s hard work has already paid off by earning her two scholarships to pursue her goals. “I went to the Governor’s Scholars for Entrepreneurship at the University of Kentucky last summer,” Dupuy said. “I loved UK,” she said. “And I originally got the Provost Scholarship, and I found out in March that I also got the Presidential Scholarship.” Those two scholarships will prove incredibly beneficial to the young entrepreneur, essentially making her college tuition-free, leaving housing and food as her only expenses as she focuses on her bright future.

The Lewis Honors College will also benefit Dupuy in many ways, she said. “I’m also doing the Global Scholars portion of it,” Dupuy said. “They have an Engineering part and a Business part, and I am doing the Business part. The Global Scholars and Lewis College work together,” Dupuy explained. “They set you up with a councilor and you meet with them frequently.”

“The councilors help you navigate classes, and there is also a lot of opportunities for mentorship. You are kind of their first option (for mentees) and I really like that about it.” The programs help with firsthand experience on how her studies are applied in ‘real time’ and could possibly help with future job placement as well.

Dupuy’s goal is to ultimately bring her college experience back home and apply it to help the region grow. “Ideally I want to come back here,” Dupuy said. “I love the idea of working for the city in economic development and get more businesses to come to Greenup. I hear from people, especially teenagers, that there isn’t a lot to do around here,” she said. “And I would like to help change that.”

While building her own business and planning her future, Dupuy has also been quite busy with the ‘business’ of being a high school senior. The year has been busy and exhausting, she said, but also very fun. “I do FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) and we went to regionals and state,” she said. “I also play tennis,” Dupuy said, and will compete in regionals for that as well. Those two things, she said, have taken up most of her time during her senior year, but she has enjoyed them both immensely.

“It’s been super fun, and I have definitely tried to take advantage of all the opportunities this year,” she said. Still, while having fun, Dupuy has also managed to earn 37 college hours in English, Math, Public Speaking, and Psychology, among others.

Dupuy has some advice for up-and-coming high school students as the baton is passed from exiting seniors to advancing juniors. “Don’t forget to live in your moment,” Dupuy said. “I’m the type of person who always tries to plan ahead, and I did that. But this year I have also tried to not miss experiencing what was going on in my life right now. Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing,” she said. “Pay attention to what you are doing.”