Alumni Story

I have always thought that Catawba is such a beautiful campus. When it was my time to go to school, I knew Catawba was where I wanted to be.”

Born in Salisbury, North Carolina, Ellen grew up watching sports and theatre at Catawba. “I have always thought that Catawba is such a beautiful campus. When it was my time to go to school, I knew Catawba was where I wanted to be,” Ellen says.

Choosing a major took longer. “I came to Catawba wanting to major in twenty-five different things,” she explains. First, she thought pre-med, then changed to business, landing a summer internship in Atlanta that later opened a door for her.

Ultimately, she chose psychology and explains her decision: “I think Psychology and all the components surrounding it are so interesting and can be used in so many different aspects of your life. I learned something new every day and was able to apply it to real-life scenarios.”  The psychology faculty and program itself had a positive impact on her. “Dr. Brownlow and the whole psychology department were so welcoming and did a wonderful job at making content relevant and engaging. You were definitely pushed to dig deeper. Being able to work on your own experiment with peers of a like-minded focus and be given the opportunity to present that data on a larger scale, did wonders for not only your self-confidence but overall life experience.”

After graduating, she returned to the company where she had interned, LiviRae. “I got to learn every area of the company and loved it. I met people from all walks of life.” When the company decided to re-do Ellen’s position, she had some hesitation. She continued with them part-time and took a part-time position teaching school. “I’ve always liked kids,” she explains.

Weighing next steps, she decided on a move back home and a master’s degree. She obtained her master’s in teaching from Liberty University, and a teaching position with Iredell-Statesville Schools.  “I am currently teaching first grade and coaching high school softball,” Ellen shares. “Working with children can definitely throw you some curveballs and each day is different than the one before, which is great when it comes to keeping you on your toes! Each day I am tasked with presenting age-appropriate content to a group of students in a way that keeps them engaged and wanting to come back the next day.”

Coaching high school softball did not come out of the proverbial left field. Ellen reveals her lengthy history with the game. “I played softball competitively my whole life,” she emphasizes, “it is your whole life. I would play three out of four weekends a month except for winter. There were so many other opportunities Catawba offered that I wanted to take advantage of.” She took a break from softball to do just that. In coaching, Ellen has hit on the right amount of softball for her. With enthusiasm, she says, “I enjoy it, I love being on the ball field.” There are more weekends available now for Ellen to enjoy trips with a group of Catawba friends. Prior to Catawba, she had not met anyone from another country; a fellow student from Sweden remains one of her cherished friends. She recommends students talk to everyone at Catawba and try everything they are even slightly interested in. “The group of friends I made at Catawba are like my family now, even though some of us do not live near each other, we see each other very frequently. It makes for the best memories.”