About Me
Hi, I’m Karen Boulton-Gorry (she/her). I’m the only biological child of my parents, but I grew up with two step-brothers and a foster sister. I live on the Fraser Coast and married my husband, Eden, in May 2025 (yes, we met on a dating app).
I’ve been volunteering since I was seven, and that early habit stuck. I bring person-first lived experience to my advocacy: I have a rare chromosomal microdeletion, Autism and Developmental Coordination Delay, and I live with Anxiety and Functional Depression. Those experiences are why I show up in advisory rooms, at co-design tables and on stages, pushing for services that actually work for people in regional communities.
I combine that lived experience with practical roles and study. I worked as an Assistant Electorate Officer for the state Member for Hervey Bay (Dec 2023–Nov 2024), and I’m a paid member of the Headspace Youth National Reference Group (Feb 2025–present). I’ve been involved with YMCA Queensland Youth Parliament, served on disability and suicide-prevention committees, and contributed to Wide Bay Advocacy’s Expert Advisory Group. I attended the Headspace National Forum (2024) and the National Leadership Forum (2025). I completed an Undergraduate Certificate in Community Services (USC, Sept 2024), I’m studying a Diploma in Political Science & International Relations (Griffith), and I’ve paused my Bachelor of Social Work to focus on advocacy and professional experience.
My community recognitions include Youth Volunteer of the Year 2018, Young Citizen of the Year 2019, and local influence listings in 2021–22. These aren’t why I do this work, but they show people trust me to represent them. I speak plainly, love practical co-design, and aim to leave audiences with things they can actually use.
When I’m not advocating or studying, you’ll find me reading, belting out karaoke, colouring in, exploring somewhere new or at the pistol range. If you’d like someone with lived experience, practical know-how and a bit of regional stubbornness for your event or project or just to chat head to the Contact section and let’s talk.
