January Student of the Month: Ella Dreher spreads her light
Ella Dreher says the most important thing to know about her is that her identity comes from God and she wants nothing more than to be a light in the world she says is full of darkness.
“It’s my purpose; it’s why I am who I am,” said Dreher. “At the root of it all, my goal on this Earth is to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
The Bartlesville High School senior is one of two students chosen as January Student of the Month in the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise and Patriot Auto Group student recognition program.
At BHS, she has maintained a 4.0 GPA while balancing a full schedule as a Student Council officer, Interact Club officer, and a member of the soccer team and track.
“I don’t like running at all, but soccer also has a lot of technicality,” said Dreher. “It’s like it’s a mental game that you have to envision the plays beforehand, but cross country, it’s just running and hoping you don’t throw up.”
Even though she doesn’t care much for running, she knows that doing things you don’t want to builds moral character and will pay off in the long run, and Dreher models her life with that perspective.
She has taken on many challenging AP and concurrent courses and is currently interning at ABB, Inc. Dreher hopes she can use the experience she gains to go to Oklahoma State University and major in accounting and minor in data analytics.
“Normally, when you say accounting, they just shut down, and they’re like, oh, that’s so boring,” said Dreher. “I’m like, well, hold up, give it a second — forensic accounting.”
She grew up wanting to be a detective but shifted away from that dream as she got older. Then one day, she spoke with a family friend who was an accountant for the FBI, and her love for numbers returned.
“They were telling stories, and it was super interesting, and I thought that was such a cool opportunity to be able to help others through the banking process,” said Dreher. “That’s where our world is going towards technology, and I thought it would be really cool to do something similar to what they did.”
Despite her demanding schedule, Ella also enjoys music and performs as a vocalist and pianist at church.
She is deeply committed to serving her community through her involvement at church and Interact Club, volunteering at local soup kitchens and food pantries and participating in church mission trips.
“I am very blessed to have the life that I have, and others don’t have that same opportunity, which is why I think it’s so important to serve others,” said Dreher.
Finally, she wants to remind everyone to pay their taxes …or else.