Freshman Arden Boudreaux placed first in the Sociology category at the county social studies fair on Feb. 12 at Grand Pointe Conference Center. She was one of two high school winners in the fair. 

“It felt really great cause I’ve actually never placed before at county, I’ve only placed at school. So, I was really excited,” said Boudreaux, who has participated in the social studies fair every year since the third grade.

Boudreaux qualified for county after winning the school social studies fair on Feb. 4. The school fair was originally going to be held on Jan. 27, but it was moved due to snow. She was the only participant. 

Her project, “Disease and Discrimination: The Black Angels of Sea View Hospital,” is about the African American nurses who moved from the Jim Crow South to help cure tuberculosis at Sea View Hospital on Staten Island during the late 1940s and early 1950s. Boudreaux got inspiration after watching a TikTok video on the subject. She then furthered her knowledge by reading a book about it.

The regional social studies fair will be held March 13 at the Center on Market/Wood County Resiliency Center.

“I’m more excited than nervous (for regionals) this time,” Boudreaux said. “I’m just feeling a little bit more confident since I’ve gotten first place two times now.”