Happy First Day of Class Elon students! While freshmen are starting the beginning of their college careers with new faces and dorm decorations, seniors are beginning, what may otherwise be known as the end, of their Elon careers. Here in our own office, there is someone else who is feeling a bit nostalgic as well. Bethany Ely, the admissions counselor for Maryland, Delaware and D.C. graduated from Elon (officially) in May. She actually began working in our office in February, as she was one of the lucky few to graduate early. Get out your tissues for this tearjerker as Bethany takes some time to reflect on her time at Elon and what it means to her to be working now in admissions……

I became an admissions counselor at Elon in February of 2012. Three months later, on a sunny May morning, I graduated from Elon with a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology. Having finished all of my required courses early, I was able to begin working before I had even officially graduated from my home of 4 years. Something about working in a professional environment for three months before I even graduated made that Saturday morning in May a little anticlimactic. I count it as a blessing that I had the time to transition from student to employee over a period of three months, rather than just waking up one morning and making the switch from one life to another. My time as a student / admissions counselor also gave me a little bit more of a reflective look at graduation and what it truly meant for me.

As a first generation college student, I was prepared to come to college and be an “A” student, graduate with a journalism degree, and become the most famous journalist to ever live. About a week into my time at Elon, I realized how tall of an order that was. I started to question whether journalism was what I wanted to do. Elon’s liberal arts curriculum gave me the opportunity to take courses in sociology, which eventually became my major and my passion. Imagine my parents’ surprise when I came home for the summer and told them that I was no longer going to pursue journalism (a field that they had actually heard of) and instead I was going major in sociology. I think the most frequently asked question of the past 3 years of my life has been “What are you going to do with that?” Until February of this year, I had no idea. I enjoyed the classes and I found myself doing well in my sociology courses, but I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. Luckily, around the time I changed my major, I was also hired as a tour guide at Elon. Working in the admissions office sparked something within me, and after a short time working, I decided that working in admissions was the route for me. No one really helped me with my college process (I didn’t even know that there were people who were SUPPOSED to help you) and I found myself eager to help others with their own process. Who better to guide students to Elon than an Elon grad?

I was extremely lucky in that I finished all of my courses around the same time that Elon University was hiring a new admissions counselor. While that meant that some Saturdays I was helping with Spring Orientation instead of lying around with my roommates and some weeknights were spent answering emails rather than watching the latest episode of Modern Family, I knew that I had done something amazing. I think my parents were more excited than I was when I told them I had gotten a job (which is hard to believe, but it took about 2 weeks for my mom to turn my bedroom into a “craft room” after I got hired…thanks, Mom.) and I beamed with pride when they told their friends that not only had I graduated early, but I had gotten a job, too. The few sacrifices that I made during those three months helped me to slowly remove myself from the college student mindset. By the time graduation rolled around, I was completely ready to have one identity: admissions counselor. Sitting under the oaks, I could actually listen to the advice being given to us graduates and take it to heart. “Life’s too short to do things you are not proud of.” This quote stuck in my brain as being so thought provoking. As simple as it is, it is so powerful. It lit a spark in me to return to work and truly put my passion for my position into my job.

I walked across the stage and received my diploma. I sat through 1,117 names being read. I threw my cap up in the air and received my oak sapling. And just like that, graduation was over. I had earned what I had worked so hard to get. It was a very surreal feeling, but it was reassuring to know that I had somewhere to be on Monday morning. Somewhere that, thankfully, wasn’t brand new and wasn’t absolutely terrifying. I was turning a page in my life but I was doing it with the support of both my college friends and my admissions colleagues. I felt so honored to have both groups of people there for me at my graduation and I truly felt as though I was sitting on top of the world. Luckily, I also had to work all day on Monday and wasn’t there to watch my roommates move out of our home. No time for tears!

Having officially graduated from Elon, I feel more prepared than ever to help students with their own college search process. I was lucky enough to receive an Elon education, but I have also been blessed enough to receive the support of the Elon community both as a student and as a professional staff member. I know that being a staff member at Elon will be very different than being a student, but I also know now that different isn’t always a bad thing. As one student says in our admissions video, “sometimes you don’t know what you want until you get it.” I never knew I wanted to become a North Carolina resident or work in higher education. I never knew I wanted to graduate early or get a head start on my professional career while the rest of my class was going on spring break and studying for mid terms, but it was honestly the best decision I ever made. I’m one of the lucky few that have an exciting adventure to embark on here at Elon University for the second time. Not only that, but now I don’t actually have to leave this beautiful place. It truly does not get better than this.

-Bethany Ely ’12
Admissions Counselor