Full Name: Ella Bodsford

What school do you attend?

Cookeville High School

Tell us about yourself.

My name is Ella Bodsford and I am 16 years old. I am a junior at Cookeville High School. Since I was nine, I have been involved in performing with Cookeville Children’s Theatre and the Cookeville High School arts program. I have found that I find the most joy when I am performing. I’m still trying to discover who I am.

What is your greatest strength, and why?

I feel that my greatest strength is my ability to deal with the unexpected. Everyone says it, but life really is full of surprises. Change has been a big part of my life, I have learned to embrace it. I think I can consider that my greatest strength because of all the curveballs life can throw our way. Any life is a life of change. Because of this, I believe embracing change as one of my strengths allows me to move forward in life, to live, learn, and grow as a person.

What is your greatest weakness, and why?

My greatest weakness is caring too much. I’ve always viewed myself as a people-person, and I like to think that caring is a good thing. It becomes a weakness when I allow people to take advantage of it. It may seem like a silly, maybe even irrelevant, weakness but because I care too much, I allow myself to be walked over. I can exhaust myself trying to please others even when they wouldn’t care to look my way. Within this whole process, I often forget to care for myself.

What skills do you need to learn to turn your greatest weakness into your greatest strength?

Turning my greatest weakness into my greatest strength would mean to let go of going out of my way to please someone who doesn’t appreciate it. Caring “too” much is a part of me. My empathy is just how I see the world differently. I have a big heart, and that’s not something I should be ashamed of. I have been taught all my life that caring too much is a weakness, but I can utilize it as one of my greatest strengths by not allowing people to take advantage of me. By turning this weakness into a strength, I can impact someone’s life if not the world as a whole.

What is the biggest challenge you have overcome, and what did you learn from that?

My biggest challenge I have had to overcome is my diagnosis of a general anxiety disorder (GAD). I was diagnosed when I reached the 6th grade and it completely flipped my world upside down. My parents were constantly looking for options to assist me from several MRI’s to psychological therapy with psychiatrists. As a young girl, overcoming it served to be a much more difficult obstacle. I found myself feeling like a burden to my family and ridiculous for not understanding what was wrong with me. But over the years I have learned that my anxiety does not define who I am and I am capable of overcoming it. I am still learning how to overcome these challenges but from it all, I have learned that things take time but they are not impossible.

Why do you deserve this award?

I won’t try to claim that I’m the most exceptional entree as far as having the most incredible story. But what sets me apart is my search for being passionate about life. I’d like to think that I’ve got my life figured out, but truthfully, I’m not sure where my path leads. I’m just another girl trying to figure things out. My parents are always encouraging me to go to college and pursue psychology. While I find psychology interesting and I’d love to learn more about it, I know that I need to pursue something I’m passionate about. Passionate people do great things for society. In the 4th grade, I decided to audition for Annie at Cookeville Children’s Theatre. And I can whole-heartedly say that it changed my life because I found something I was passionate about. To be on stage is to make others happy. To make them laugh, cry, sing along, and inspire. That is something I am passionate about because I believe that performing is how I can do great things for society. This award would offer me a chance to not only explore the incredible cities of New York but learn and grow from the study on Broadway.

Who has been a role model for you, and why?

Many have been a role model in my life; however, my aunt Stephanie served to be the most impactful role model in my life. Though she is no longer with me, she taught me valuable lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. My aunt passed away this year in March after a brave battle with cancer. She now rests peacefully on the Mattaponi Indian Reservation. My aunt will always be the kindest person to ever have been in my life. She taught me that though life can get down-right hard, there is nothing I cannot overcome. She taught me how to grow in my relationship with the Lord, which is something I struggled with for years. She taught me that the universe has a plan for me and that I am capable of anything I put my mind to. She serves as a role model for me because I admire her love for life and the fearlessness of change. She took on life with the best of attitudes and left with still the brightest of smiles. She is someone I strive to be like one day. Humble, fearless, and passionate.

What is the biggest mistake you made, and what have you learned from that mistake?

The biggest mistake I have made thus far in my life was allowing a boy to manipulate me. The story of every high school girl ever, right? But honestly. During my freshman year of high school, I was excited to have a boy look in my direction. Through it all, I lost myself. I didn’t respect myself. I forgot to love myself because all I wanted was this boy to love me. I consider this to be my greatest mistake in life so far because of what I learned from the entire situation. I learned that there is more to life than one stupid boy. I learned that I should love myself first and I should always respect myself. I won’t let anyone make me feel less than what I am. I think this is a valuable lesson I can carry with me for the rest of my life. Temptation is hard, but I know that life has more to offer.

What activities are you involved in?

I am involved with the Chamber and Select choirs with Michael Choate at Cookeville High school. After school hours, I participate in the Cookeville Children’s Theatre. I have also had the incredible opportunities to participate in masterclasses instructed by Leslie Eiler Thompson, Callie Day, and even Ben Fankhauser. I love looking for activities that will allow me to grow and learn.

How are you giving back to others?

Giving back to others can be done in many ways. I’m sure that I won’t be the most exceptional entree with the most volunteer hours and more. But the way I give back to others is by performing. It may sound silly, but performing can inspire and motivate people regardless of how it is conveyed. Seeing others perform provokes inspiration in my life depending on the message a performer delivers. This may not apply to everyone’s life, but I know that a performer can impact at least someone’s life, no matter how big or small. Related to performing, I intern with Cookeville Children’s Theatre to lead young children to grow and learn through performing. Not only does it make me happy, but I’m getting to see these kids grow as people. So, though I may not have the resume of volunteering with homeless shelters or giving blood, I know that I am giving back to my community through inspiring others.

Tell us about a personal achievement that makes you proud, and what you learned from that achievement?

Going back to the question of the biggest challenge I have overcome, I believe that overcoming my anxiety disorder is a personal achievement in my life that makes me beyond proud. t truly flipped my world upside down. In my 7th grade year of middle school, I had a very serious panic attack that took a large toll on me. I was placed on homebound, I isolated myself from my friends, and I thought that life wasn’t going to get better. But I didn’t give up, no matter how many times I felt hopeless. Through it all, I learned that I’m stronger than I thought I was. I learned that I can do hard things. And I learned that my anxiety does not define who I am. That is my personal achievement.

How do you define being a humble person?

The definition provided by most dictionaries is "modest; without an excess of pride." I, however, would define being a humble person with more depth. Appreciation is the way of being a humble person. To be humble is to acknowledge that you are not better and not less than others. Being humble is a decision. It’s not always easy. But I think one of the most important factors to being humble is to let go of competition. To stop competing against others to be better. I like to think that C.S. Lewis beautifully phrases the definition of being humble: “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.” When we let go of competing and allow ourselves to just appreciate, you achieve humbleness.

How do you define servant leadership?

A servant leader is much different than your traditional leader. Servant leadership means to lead from a point of serving. To be a servant leader, you must be a servant first. By serving others first and upmost, you become a leader. Not because you took the lead, but because you served. Naturally, people will follow that person who’s main priority is to serve.

Is there anything else we should know about you?

I am able to maintain a 4.0 GPA being enrolled in AP classes. I love to hike. I’m a very intuitive person. I enjoy writing, as well. I won first place in an essay writing competition through the Interfaith Peace Awards.