Washougal junior will serve as City Council’s student representative

The newest student representative to the Washougal City Council is a Washougal High School (WHS) junior with an interest in giving local youth a voice in the community.

Lauren Boyles wants to get her peers more involved by talking to them about government so that it is not such a mystery to them.

“I want my peers to be involved so that their wants and needs can be represented; whether it be school issues, youth programs or other social issues that affect them,” she said.

Boyles, 16, did not mention any specific social issues that affect youth, saying the issues are varied, but she wants to provide a platform for those issues to be heard by the city council and “other adults who are in a position to make positive changes.”

The WHS building leadership team — including administrators, teachers and classified staff — chose Boyles to serve as the student representative to the City Council.

WHS Principal Aaron Hansen described Boyles as an outstanding student.

“She is helpful, kind, and she seeks solutions,” he said. “She attended the Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership Summit last summer. She chooses classes that challenge.”

“The characteristic that we found most aligned to being our City Council student representative was her compassion for others and her interest in finding solutions,” Hansen added.

Boyles, a lifelong resident of Washougal, plans to attend college after graduating from Washougal High School.

She plays volleyball at WHS, and she is the “Spirit Chair” for the class of 2020.

“As spirit chair, I come up with stuff to engage the students and I bring the fun and exciting energy to assemblies,” Boyles said.

She teaches private swim lessons, and she takes care of children in an after school program at Camas Christian Academy. Boyles volunteers at Grace Church, in Camas, where she sings worship songs for children in kindergarten through eighth grade.

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