THE GREEN ARCH
MARCH 2020
Features
PAGE 7
ALUMNI SKYLER BOUCHARD ‘11 COOKS UP A FANBASE ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Phoebe Brinker ‘20 NEWS EDITOR
From the beginning, Skyler Bouchard ‘11 knew her passions: food and media. Bouchard still remembers her first vision of merging these two interests into a future career occurred in Archmere’s cafeteria as she was devouring her favorite dessert: a chipwich. Though her friends probably thought she was daydreaming or joking, Bouchard recalls confidently stating, “One day I’m going to eat and get paid for it!” Little did she know that dream would become her reality just a few years later. After starting a blog in college, creating a business, and branding herself on a plethora of social-networking platforms like Instagram and Youtube, Bouchard found herself gaining traction in the food industry. After graduating from Archmere, Bouchard attended NYU to study Broadcast Journalism and Communications. With the knowledge she was gaining in the classroom, Bouchard took the leap to launch her own blog, “Food by Skyler”, as a medium to channel her creativity and passion for food. Then, Bouchard started her Instagram account in 2012, and with Instagram’s dramatic increase in popularity her account reached 10k followers by 2014. However, it wasn’t solely optimal timing that led Bouchard to achieve a substantial Instagram following; she claims her main asset was “having a unique vision and a unique brand.” Being a blogger in the food industry, Bouchard sets herself apart by her unique mission to “find fun, unique dining experiences and make cooking less intimidating.” By approaching the industry with this mindset, Bouchard’s instagram (@diningwithskyler) has racked up 177k followers to date. And that is only her instagram following; surely there are countless more foodies who follow her online blog, subscribe to her YouTube channel, or watch her on Amazon’s live digital platform, where she showcases kitchen items on deal. Bouchard captures engaging content and connects with her target audience by radiating her personality through the camera. Her content, which consists of original recipes, restaurant reviews, travel reflections, and lifestyle tips, all contribute to the personal brand
she has defined for herself since the beginning of her blogging career. When asked how she scaled her audience, Bouchard reflected on how her platform evolved, stating, “In the beginning when I started my blog I was trying to be a New York Times writer and I was 20, I had no credibility, and I wasn’t growing because nobody cared. And then I started to use my own voice, and that’s what helped me start to gain traction. That’s still the strategy I have now.” In addition to being a blogger, Bouchard is an entrepreneur; she her blog, Bouchard started a cake ball business. She took the driver’s seat in the business which she maintained for a year and a half, which led her to work extraordinarily long hours blogging during the day and baking, packaging, and shipping her product during the late night hours and on weekends. Though she did not particularly enjoy the production sector of the food industry, Bouchard expressed the importance of her entrepreneurial endeavor, which lended her experience and credibility in the food industry. Her expert advice to students aspiring to become entrepreneurs is that, “If you ever start a business, the most important thing to do is research past models and build a new way for it for you.” For every course from breakfast to dessert, “Dining with Skyler” presents nearly 100 original recipes that cover cuisines from around the world and range savory to sweet, and everything in between. Bouchard explains her strategy of creating original recipes has evolved as she has gained more expertise; now, instead of falling into the black hole of Google, Bouchard attempts to recreate past dining experiences, with her own unique twist. Still, creating original recipes is quite the process. In Bouchard’s own words, “Recipe development is such a trial and error game. It’s a lot of failing and eating, and then just eating your feelings.” Despite the diligent, demanding process, Bouchard’s recipes inspire her followers to find comfort in cooking with bold flavors, while taking mindful healthy shortcuts. Bouchard is a trailblazer in the food-media industry; she has opened the door for women to step out of
the kitchen and explore the industry in innovative ways. In addition to the work she does on her personal platform, Bouchard also created a media company in which she helps restaurants and startups with branding, social media, and their creative strategy. Her career has taken off, but she certainly isn’t looking backwards. Her future goals are countless, as the industry could take her anywhere. However, a specific long-term goal Bouchard hopes to achieve is “to align with a network for TV or digital video where I can either cook or explore.” Bouchard credits her family, who is prominent in Delaware’s dining scene, for instilling in her a love of food, along with Archmere for shaping her into who she is today. “I really evolved during my time at Archmere… my freshman and sophomore years I wasn’t really even thinking about what I wanted to do. I was focused on sports and academics, but channeling energy into those things helped me realize exactly what I wanted to do, which was entertainment.” She attacked sports and academics with this creative mindset, treating the lacrosse field as a platform to express herself. In addition, Bouchard credits Archmere as a pivotal step in her self-development, stating, “[high school] was one of the most important times in my life where I got to learn the foundation of who I am and what my interests are, and a lot of that was figuring out what
I didn’t want to do… that’s actually one of the most helpful things you can ever experience.” Though Archmere’s broad, demanding curriculum may seem daunting, Bouchard reassures students that enduring unfavorable subjects is actually a vital step to discovering passions. Basically, in simpler terms, she is advising us to trust the process. When asked for the best advice she could give to students aspiring to begin a blog, Bouchard said, “Don’t start a blog if having a blog is the main goal… start a blog if there is something you are truly passionate about and you want to talk about it.” She expands, saying, “Once you figure out your passion and what you want to blog about, find your voice and find a way to make yourself different.” If she could give any advice to students, Bouchard wants to communicate the importance of finding comfort outside of your comfort zone. She says, “If anyone thinks
your ideas are crazy and you are thinking outside of the box, you are doing the right thing... Being outside of the box is actually the most comfortable place to be, and I highly recommend it.” So, Bouchard is opening the door for us to not only dream, but to trust ourselves to chase that dream. Because who knows where it could lead; from eating a chipwich to having a successful, booming food-media career (aka her dream job), it worked out pretty darn well for Skyler. §
Bouchard’s Edible Cookie Dough features chickpeas, but you’d never know it. Photo courtesy of Bouchard’s website withskyler.com. You can also follow her on the Food Network and @diningwithskyler on Instagram.
ARCHMERE CRITICS CORNER
ACTOR WITH A DRIVE: ADAM DRIVER TAKES THE WHEEL IN HOLLYWOOD Luke Currie ‘20 STAFF REPORTER
With the takeoff of his career in his supporting role in the HBO-series “Girls”, Adam Driver is now one of Hollywood’s top stars who is highly sought after by many bigname directors including JJ Abrams, Martin Scorsese, Noah Baumbach and many more. Born in San Diego and raised in Mishawaka, Indiana, Driver lived in the back of his mother’s house until he decided to change his life and apply to the Juilliard School for drama, to which he was rejected. Shortly after, he took a sharp turn in his life aspirations and joined the Marines. After two years and eight months of serving, he was medically discharged at rank Lance Corporal.
Struggling to fit back into normal life outside of the Marine lifestyle, Driver, standing at six-foot two and literally sticking out in society, made one last attempt with his acting career and once again applied to the Juilliard School. This time, he was accepted and his career took off from there. Driver is best known for his recent roles as the cutting-edge villain Kylo Ren in the latest Star Wars trilogy and the emotionally exhausted husband Charlie in Marriage Story for which he received a 2020 Golden Globe nomination. Whether it be space wars or arguments with a wife, Driver truly puts all of his effort and passion onto screen.
Within the three Star Wars films that Driver starred in, his strongest acting trait is his ability to not only deliver dialogue strongly, but also have a strong presence on screen. The clash of his pale white face with his all black costume mixed with his unique mannerisms such as his eye twitch attracts the audience’s eyes no matter what scene it is. These visuals are further enhanced with the way he speaks, delivering lines in a dark, sinister, serious or even soft manner. Daisy Ridley, who plays Rey in the film, said, “I love working with Adam, he is a phenomenal actor, and is always so immersed in the character that it is not difficult to act with him”.
Charming, selfish, heartbroken and frustrated, Driver plays the husband that turns a father-son relationship and marriage into dust initially, but whose mourning ultimately earns the audience’s sympathy. In one scene, Charlie returns home to his family, unaware of his wife’s ambitions for divorce. This dramatic irony stirs intense emotion in the audience and Driver skillfully conveys a sense of unawareness. More priceless is the way Driver captures Charlie’s emotion when he learns of the intended divorce, and his tear-filled interactions with his son that turn to arguments because of his fear of losing custody. Driver does everything in this film from
putting tears in the audience’s eyes to heartfelt singing. The beauty of this film and Driver’s performance in it is truly heartbreaking. Currently, Driver is starring in new films for 2020 in leading roles including Annette and The Last Duel. He also manages a non-profit organization that he founded titled Arts in the Armed Forces which provides high-quality arts programming to people in the military. From a galactic supreme leader to an average husband in a crumbling marriage, Adam Driver can be successful in so many different roles making him Hollywood’s next big star.§
