225 Magazine recently recognized 20 in their 20's : The Capital Region’s up-and-coming leaders, creators and difference-makers

Two local Zachary High graduates made the list! We spoke with Ashleigh McHugh and Jacqueline "Mimi" Allen about the achievement and what it means to be a young leader in Zachary.

At just 21 years old, Mimi has already become a linchpin in the Zachary community, making her a perfect fit for this year's "20 in their 20s" award.  Teaching at Zachary High and running Studio Z, dance studio , Mimi seamlessly blends her passion for education with entrepreneurial spirit.

Recently, Studio Z expanded, taking over the neighboring building to accommodate a new locker room and lobby. This growth allows Mimi to offer more classes and better facilities, meeting the community's increasing demand. It's a big step for a young business, showing Mimi's knack for timely and ambitious expansion.

Beyond her business, Mimi is deeply involved in the Zachary High community.  She spent 4 years as a Bronco Belle, and continued working with the team during her college years in an unofficial capacity. This past year she took a more supportive role because she was learning to get her bearings as a first-year teacher, but she hopes to be more directly involved with the program in the coming years.  

Her achievements show what it means to be rooted in the Zachary community. She demonstrates to her students both at Zachary High and Studio Z that it's possible to drive meaningful change and inspire the next generation in the very place that raised you.

Her advice to other 20 somethings who'd like to start a business here is simple, "Patience will pay off. It may start small and hard and the payout wont immediately be exactly what you picture, but in time if you keep your intentions pure and stick to what you believe in, the right people will come to you and seek your services."

Next up, we have Ashleigh McHugh who you probably know as the Director of Economic Development for the City of Zachary You also might know her as a volunteer for Must Luv Dogs a cause that is very near to her heart.

Ashleigh is also a Zachary High alum. She's married to ZHS Wrestling coach and teacher Ben McHugh who comes from a long line of Zachary leaders. Ashleigh is carrying on that tradition by doing big things in her hometown. If you've gone to Downtown Live at the Gazebo lately or maybe came out to the Virginia Street Art Crawl, you've experienced some of her hard work first hand. 

"I was so excited to be included on the list with Mimi," she says. "I wanted to make sure that Zachary was well represented. It gives us such a great platform to talk about all that we're doing up here in Zachary and also gave me the opportunity to talk about Must Luv Dogs."

Ashleigh is most proud of the work that she did with last year's Really Hot Air Balloon Festival and is excited to bring the event back this year. Getting the word about about what's happening in the 70791 is an important part of her work with the City of Zachary, but it's also personal to her. "I want to spread the good news all over the Baton Rouge area that there are great things happening up here."

There will be even more time to network about Zachary coming up next week with BREW. "The 20 in their 20s crew included several people I knew from last year's BREW," she explains. Although (sadly!) Ashleigh won't be able to attend this year's event, she still highly encourages everyone who can to go. "It's a great place to network and meet like minded people and collaborate on ideas."

We congratulate both of Zachary's 20 in their 20's award recipients and can't wait to see who is recognized next year!