Developed in collaboration with the City of Charlotte, the challenge focuses on how local businesses and communities may be affected as the proposed Red Line corridor moves forward. Participants will work in teams to explore real data, uncover insights and develop practical recommendations that can help city leaders better understand potential impacts and identify opportunities for support.

The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at 51±ŹÁÏÍű in Charlotte, located at 330 W. Tremont Avenue. No coding, programming or analytics experience is required.

“The Charlotte Decision Challenge reflects the kind of work our MSBA Flex program is designed to support,” said Mark Kurt, associate dean for the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business. “Participants will have the opportunity to use data in a practical, accessible way while contributing ideas that can support real decision-making in the Charlotte community.”

Individuals and teams are welcome to participate. The event is designed for anyone interested in business, analytics, public policy, economic development, transportation, community engagement or civic problem solving.

Breakfast, lunch and refreshments will be provided at no cost.

Losing a parent changes everything. How you see the world. How you build relationships. How you understand risk, love and time.

Aidan Steinbach ’23 knows this all too well. He was just seven years old when his mother died. A respected scholar and professor of public health, Michelle Mayer dedicated her life to bringing quality healthcare to communities in need before her life was cut short by a rare autoimmune disease that she battled for more than 12 years. She was 39 years old.

To honor her memory, Steinbach made a $2 million estate gift to create the Michelle Mayer Endowed Scholarship. The scholarship will assist students who have experienced the death of a parent or guardian, with first preference given to entrepreneurship majors in Elon’s Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, where Steinbach earned his degree in management in 2023.

Endowing the scholarship is Steinbach’s way of paying tribute to his mother—who helped fund his Elon education—and helping future generations of students grappling with the same kind of loss he experienced.

“My Mom was Wonder Woman,” Steinbach said. “That’s who your mom is when you’re seven years old. She’s the person who protects you, clothes and feeds you, and teaches you right from wrong. I miss her every day.”

Mayer was also someone who valued education and ensured Steinbach and his older sister Amelia had the chance to go to college.

“My Mom wasn’t wealthy. She didn’t leave behind real estate or investments or anything you’d call an estate,” Steinbach said. “What she left was a life insurance policy that helped pay for my Elon education. I got to go to school debt-free because my mother died. I’ve sat with that fact for most of my life. It’s not something you ever fully resolve. You just learn to carry it.”

Michelle Lynn Mayer died October 11, 2008, at the Duke Hospice Inpatient Care Facility in Durham, North Carolina, after battling scleroderma, part of a group of chronic autoimmune disorders marked by hardening and tightening of the skin. Scleroderma can also damage the lungs, heart, kidneys, digestive track, muscles and joints, and other internal organs.

It was a struggle Mayer chronicled in her blog, “Diary of a Dying Mom,” where she wrote essays on parenting, living and dying to help families facing the challenges of terminal illnesses.

“I deal with the topic of death head-on in an unflinching way,” Mayer wrote in one entry. “I believe that, as a culture, we shy away from anything surrounding death and, consequently, deprive ourselves of all the lessons inherent in the dying and grieving process. We ignore the reality that death is as much a part of life as birth.”

A Philadelphia native, Mayer graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania (1990) with a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a minor in economics from the Wharton School of Business, before earning her master’s degree in public health education (1992) and a doctorate in health policy and administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1997). During her doctoral program, Mayer also served as a health economics consultant for the World Bank in Washington, D.C., and in Nairobi, Kenya.

In 1997, Mayer married Dr. William J. Steinbach after the two met as graduate students at UNC.

The couple (and later their young children) briefly lived in California during Dr. Steinbach’s medical residency. During this time, Mayer worked as a clinical research associate in the Department of Pediatrics at Stanford University and as research director of the Children’s Health Initiative at the Lucile S. Packard Children’s Hospital in Palo Alto, California. The family then moved back to the Triangle in 2001, and Mayer served as a research fellow at the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research and a research assistant professor in the School of Public Health at UNC-Chapel Hill, until stepping down in 2007 due to her illness.

In the family’s Durham neighborhood, Mayer started a group for families with young children, which was a vital source of support for her family during her illness. Mayer also regularly volunteered at her children’s school, even after the disease had curtailed many of her daily activities. Throughout her ordeal, Mayer remained passionate about improving access to quality healthcare for underserved communities, supporting women and families, and promoting awareness of scleroderma.

Steinbach is grateful to his mother for giving him the gift of education. He is equally grateful to Elon for providing him with an outstanding experience, including participation in the Isabella Cannon Leadership Fellows program and Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which prepared him for success. Steinbach, who lives in San Francisco, is a banker at Erebor and also runs his own consulting firm, working with companies backed by Andreessen Horowitz, Y Combinator and others.

Steinbach hopes the scholarship will encourage students to follow their dreams, knowing someone is willing to invest in their success.

“My mother inspired me to be a better person. I hope this scholarship inspires others to be better as well, and, in turn, to own that obligation as they go out into the world,” he said. “Elon gave me a chance during a stretch of my life when the odds weren’t obviously in my favor. The scholarship is my attempt to extend that same chance to someone else who didn’t ask for what happened to them, but is still here trying to figure out what comes next.”

“Aidan’s desire to honor his mother’s legacy while creating opportunity for others is a wonderful example of the power of philanthropy to change lives,” said Leanna Giles ’02, associate director of planned giving. “He didn’t just want to honor her memory—he wanted to transform something painful into possibility for someone else. For that, the Elon community is grateful.”

Make An Impact

To learn how you can make an impact at Elon through your estate, contact Leanna Giles ’02, associate director of planned giving, at (336) 278-5798 or lgiles@elon.edu.

“I was always told going abroad would change you as a person, but I never knew that feeling was real,” said McDermott, a marketing and international business major from Newburyport, Mass. “If you had asked me three years ago where I thought I’d be, studying in Australia and working in Singapore would have never crossed my mind.”

This spring, the second-year class in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business’s Business Fellows program studied abroad together through a new Asia-Pacific semester experience. The program began with coursework in Sydney, Australia, continued with a week in Vietnam and concluded with full-time internships in Singapore.

In Sydney, students took courses in management, marketing, operations and supply chain, and Australian life and culture. They then traveled to Vietnam for company meetings, lectures from local faculty and cultural activities before beginning internship placements in Singapore through Global Academic Ventures.

For McDermott, the semester’s first weeks in Australia helped her build confidence in unfamiliar settings.

“By immersing myself in the culture, I found an increase in my confidence levels,” McDermott said. “I became more independent, more willing to take risks and more open-minded in situations that once would have felt daunting.”

Her internship in Singapore also challenged her expectations. McDermott expected more content creation work, but her early assignments focused on writing scripts for a developing podcast.

“I learned that not every professional experience will fit perfectly into my expectations, and growth often comes from the assignments that challenge me the most,” McDermott said.

Eli Karpas ’28, a finance major from Houston, Texas, chose the program because he wanted to explore a part of the world he had never experienced.

“I chose this program because I wanted to explore Asia, a new area of the world I’ve never been to,” Karpas said.

While in Australia, Karpas said he embraced the daily rhythm of Sydney, from morning runs along Bondi Beach to afternoons at beachside cafes after class. The semester also gave him opportunities to travel beyond Sydney, including Fiji, Tasmania and New Zealand.

“I didn’t expect there to be so many opportunities to travel outside of Sydney,” Karpas said.

In Singapore, Karpas worked as an investment analyst at a boutique private advisory firm.

“I was thrown into real work from day one,” Karpas said. “I reviewed and created pitch decks for fund managers, built market maps, wrote about global events affecting private markets and attended a conference on artificial intelligence in the workforce.”

Olivia Gover ’28, a marketing major from Stamford, Conn., said her internship helped her better understand cross-cultural communication. Working with colleagues from a variety of cultural and professional backgrounds, she learned how strongly workplace communication depends on patience, curiosity and mutual understanding.

“Not only was I able to build a deeper connection with the people I work with, but I also gained new global knowledge,” Gover said.

Some of that learning happened in everyday moments. Coworkers taught her local expressions, shared food during lunch and asked questions about life in the United States.

“This showed me how a well-rounded work environment requires mutual understanding of one another, allowing relationships to build,” Gover said.

For Parker Forgash ’28, an entrepreneurship major from Laguna Beach, Calif., the internship showed him the difference between classroom confidence and professional readiness.

“There was a version of me from before this semester who thought he was pretty prepared,” Forgash said. “He had taken the finance courses, written the case studies, and could talk about markets with enough fluency to feel confident in a classroom.”

That confidence was tested when Forgash received an open-ended research assignment early in his internship. With no template and a real deadline, he had to analyze unfamiliar markets, organize his findings and work through uncertainty.

“Delivering that report was the first moment I felt like I was actually contributing something real, not just completing an assignment for a grade,” Forgash said.

By the end of the semester, the experience had changed how students understood themselves as learners and future professionals.

“If I were sitting in an interview, I would want an employer to know that I am someone who can easily adapt, communicate effectively, and be placed outside my comfort zone,” McDermott said. “This abroad experience has shaped me as a student today and the professional I hope to become.”

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As the 2025-26 academic year drew to a close, May was marked by celebration, reflection and new beginnings across 51±ŹÁÏÍű. From Commencement festivities and awards ceremonies to end-of-year traditions, performances, and moments of community, the month showcased the accomplishments and experiences that defined another successful year on campus. These photos highlight some of the memorable scenes and milestones that made May a special month at Elon.

Engineering excellence

Students in Elon’s Department of Engineering put their classroom learning into practice through six capstone projects showcased May 8 in Founders Hall as part of the Engineering Senior Design course.

Coolin’ on the Commons

51±ŹÁÏÍű’s Black Student Union held Coolin’ on the Commons in May, which featured live music, games and fun.

‘Elon will never leave you.’

The Class of 2026 gathered Under the Oaks on May 19 for Numen Lumen: Senior Baccalaureate, a time for reflection on the light students will take into the world. During the event, Jana Lynn Patterson, associate vice-president for student life, dean of student health & well-being, and assistant professor, reminded graduates about the importance of the relationships they’ve built at Elon. Patterson will retire from the university this summer after 40 years.

Think critically, lead empathetically

Candidates from graduate-level programs in the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education and Martha and Spencer Love School of Business received their diplomas during a joint Commencement ceremony on May 20 in Alumni Gym.

In her address, journalist and author Katherine Blunt ’15 acknowledged a challenging reality – that today’s graduates are leaving institutions of higher learning across the country and embarking on professional journeys in a world where artificial intelligence is rapidly changing how people work, learn and think.

But she reminded the graduates that while many people may be tempted by the path of least resistance, Elon cultivates leaders who are deeply rooted in collaboration, communication and, most importantly, the ability to think critically.

Celebrating community

Ahead of and during Commencement Week, Elon held a variety of affinity celebrations celebrating and engaging graduates who share common identities, passions and connections that exist throughout various affinities. Those include Lavender Celebration, , Celebremos: Graduates Take Flight and Donning of the Kente.

‘Be-possible-ists’

During the 136th Commencement Ceremonies in Schar Center on May 22, President Connie Ledoux Book asked the Class of 2026 to look back on their New Student Convocation in 2022, 1,371 days prior.

During their first year, the Class of 2026 all read the Common Reading book “Factfulness” by Hans Rosling. In his book, Rosling described the word “possible-ist:” someone who looks honestly at the world’s problems and still believes, based on evidence, that things can get better, and that they are getting better. Book asked the graduates to be “possible-ists” as they enter the world.

Elon celebrated graduates in two ceremonies — the morning event for the School of Communications and the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, and the afternoon event for Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences, the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education and the School of Health Sciences.

Teza shares what she hopes to accomplish in her new role and how 51±ŹÁÏÍű students can benefit.

How would you describe your career path?

My career path consists of a series of lateral and advancement roles that provided exposure to multiple facets of the apparel industry. These positions prepared me to lead several market-leading brands, develop strong teams and implement transformation across complex regional and global businesses.

What does serving as an Executive in Residence at the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business mean to you?

I am excited to mentor and guide the next generation of leaders. I look forward to translating classroom learning into real-world scenarios and creating professional pathways through networking, internship opportunities and exposure to different industries.

What kinds of conversations and experiences do you hope to create for Elon students during your time on campus?

I look forward to meaningful conversations regarding leadership, insights into managing domestic and global businesses and how students can create a pathway to finding a career in which they will thrive.

What perspectives from your work in global consumer brands are you most excited to share with Elon students?

Leading a winning global brand combines emotional brand equity, operational scale and local execution. Managing global teams is both challenging and rewarding; it is critical to be well-versed in regional cultures to maximize employee engagement, create consistency in brand positioning and delight consumers.

What advice would you offer students who are interested in leading teams or managing large, complex organizations?

Leading a large organization requires the alignment of people, capital and processes to deliver results at scale. Aligning on priorities, building strong teams, operational excellence, constant communication, establishing decision-making rights and protecting a culture are the foundational blocks for success.

Beyond your résumé, what should people know about you and what you enjoy outside of work?

My primary focus is my family and making the most out of every day. My husband and I travel extensively to explore off-the-beaten-path locations, and we have a passion for boating, pickleball and golf. We enjoy spending time with our three children as they navigate their own career and life journeys, and we continue to coach people and businesses to help them maximize their potential.

The Chandlers remain impressed by Elon’s commitment to sound strategic planning and doing what’s best for students. It’s what inspired the couple’s gift to Slattery Center, the university’s new hub for health and wellness that will integrate academics, wellness, campus recreation and fitness programs to ensure students gain the skills they need to succeed on campus and throughout their lives.

Scheduled to open later this year, Slattery Center is located within Elon’s Innovation Quad, home to the university’s engineering and other STEM programs. The center is part of the university’s broader HealthEU initiative to serve students, faculty and staff.

“It adds value and is beneficial when you can provide a place where students can go to be in community, exercise, receive counseling and focus on their well-being,” said Bob Chandler, former executive vice president of Chandler Concrete Co. “This facility shows that the university is aware of the challenges students face and how to help them in all aspects of their health.”

The HealthEU initiative focuses on six dimensions of health and wellness: community, emotional, purpose, financial, physical and social. The three-story Slattery Center will feature new classrooms, student-faculty research spaces, multiple floors for wellness and fitness activities, and the Mark and Kim Tyson Counseling Center, which will provide individual and group therapy, as well as workshops and outreach programs.

Through coursework, as well as workshops and training programs focused on health and wellness, Slattery Center will impact all students as they progress through their education and learn essential skills and practices related to wellness and well-being. The center is a key priority of the Boldly Elon strategic plan that will guide the university to 2030.

The couple’s gift will also endow the Chandler Family Global Experience Fund, strengthening Elon’s commitment to provide each of the university’s 17 varsity teams with a global experience every four years.

“Global experiences are a cornerstone of an Elon education, and thanks to Bob and Amy Chandler, our student-athletes will have the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the world while sharing their sport across cultures,” said Jennifer Strawley, director of athletics. “Bob and Amy are truly special people who value the holistic development of our student-athletes and their generosity will be felt for generations. I am deeply grateful for their many years of dedication to this university and for the profound difference they make in the lives of our student-athletes.”

“Our family has been sports fans for as long as I can remember. We love the energy and excitement athletics brings to campus and the opportunities it provides to students,” Bob Chandler said.

“Elon is a national leader in global study, and we are thrilled to help provide this experience for student-athletes,” he added. “It’s essential that students have the opportunity to witness other cultures and encounter the differences and similarities of the people there. It provides tremendous growth for a person and a deeper understanding of the world.”

The Chandler family is among Elon’s most generous and devoted donors, helping to shape one of the finest learning environments in the nation through their gifts to Belk Library, Rhodes Stadium, Ernest A. Koury, Sr. Business Center, Gerald L. Francis Center, Alumni Field House, Richard W. Sankey Hall, Schar Center, The Inn at Elon and Innovation Quad.

Bob Chandler’s parents, Tom and Lynn Chandler, also endowed the Chandler Family Professional Sales Center in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business. Tom Chandler was the chairman and former CEO of Chandler Concrete, which he founded in 1973, and he served on Elon’s Board of Trustees for more than two decades before being elected Life Trustee in 2021. In 2023, Tom Chandler received the Elon Medallion, the university’s highest honor.

“Elon’s trajectory shows remarkable advancement,” Bob Chandler said. “Elon has a vision of what’s to come and how to keep the university moving forward. It is a vibrant and thriving university that is gratifying for the students, faculty and community.”

The university’s influence extends far beyond the campus.

“The impact that Elon has on Alamance County and the region is significant, and we feel it’s important for our family to support the university,” Bob said. “It’s a community that we are proud to be part of.”

Rain didn’t stop the light of more than 1,500 51±ŹÁÏÍű students shining bright as the Class of 2026 became alumni during the university’s 136^th Commencement Ceremonies on May 22 in Schar Center.

Despite the wet weather, families, friends, faculty and staff gathered to celebrate graduates who were encouraged not only to pursue success, but also to embrace failure as an essential part of growth.

Patricia Walsh Chadwick P’16, an Elon trustee and accomplished Wall Street strategist, delivered the Commencement address, reminding graduates that quitting is the “only true definition of failure” and urging them not to let fear guide their decisions.

“Pundits have a way of forecasting disaster every spring just as college graduates step into the world. My advice is simple: ignore them,” she said. “Technology will not be the ruin of us all; it opens far more doors than it closes. You are the future of the workforce, and that should excite you.”

The paths to success

Chadwick reflected on her own unconventional path, emphasizing that there is no “magic potion” for success. She shared how she grew up in a religious sect, which she later described as a cult, and was forced out at 17 years old.

“Fearful of the world, and in my naĂŻvetĂ©, I turned to a single phrase for guidance: ‘Failure is not an option,’” she said. “What I hadn’t realized is that no one is immune from mistakes or failures. Those two words, dreaded by so many, are part of the learning process.”

Technology will not be the ruin of us all; it opens far more doors than it closes. You are the future of the workforce, and that should excite you.

Patricia Walsh Chadwick P’16

She also spoke about her son, Elon alumnus Jim Chadwick ’16, who had planned to launch a gaming company after graduation. After spending a year pursuing that dream, he realized it was not the future he had envisioned and eventually transitioned into private finance.

“Remember to take something of value from every employment experience before moving on to the next one,” she said. “I like to think of a career path as a circular stairway, where each success leads to a new challenge winding slowly upward toward your dreams.”

Elon celebrated graduates in two ceremonies — the morning event for the School of Communications and the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, and the afternoon event for Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences, the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education and the School of Health Sciences.

The Rev. Kirstin Boswell, 51±ŹÁÏÍű’s chaplain and dean of mulfifaith engagement, opened each ceremony with the invocation.

“As these graduates step into what comes next, grant them wisdom beyond knowledge, courage beyond fear and compassion deep enough to serve a world that is in need,” Boswell said. “May they use their gifts not only for personal success, but for healing, for justice, for truth and for the flourishing of others.”

Corinne Wilson ’26 performed the Star-Spangled Banner, and led the singing of the alma mater, while Mindy Monroe ’26 and Malia Horst ’26 gave a special musical performance of “For Good,” from the musical “Wicked.”

The Elon magic

Graduates reflected on the experiences that shaped their time at Elon, including the university’s commitment to undergraduate teaching. In 2025, for the fifth year in a row, Elon topped a “Best Undergraduate Teaching” list published by U.S. News & World Report.

“Professors can actually invest in you because of the class sizes being so small,” said Robbie Simpson ’26, an Elon native who earned a degree in exercise science. “I really appreciate that because professors get to take their time to understand you, get to know you and invest because they have a personal connection to you, so it makes them it more valuable to them.”

The strong relationships with faculty were an important part of Honors Fellow Diego Hernandez’s ’26 Elon experience.

“The time that the professors have taken out of their day and their lives to support us as students, that’s one of the best things I got from Elon,” said Hernandez, who earned a degree in engineering. “That’s something that I’m going to take with me.”

The myriad of involvement opportunities was also essential for graduates.

Autumn Goyette ’26, who earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in accounting through the Love School of Business Accelerated 3+1 Dual Degree Program, says her time working for Residence Life and in the Love School of Business Dean’s Office has made an impact on her time at Elon. She will soon be moving to Virginia to work for Ernst & Young.

“I’m just so grateful for everything that Elon gave me and brought to me,” said Goyette, who is from Pittsburg, North Carolina. “This place is my home and has been my home for four years.”

Decked out in various graduation cords, Ella Allen ’26, a Teaching Fellow who earned a mathematics degree with teacher licensure from Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences, was heavily involved on campus, including as an orientation leader and a member of Kappa Delta sorority. Next, Allen will be pursuing her Master’s of Higher Education at Elon. She noted that the people and support she received at Elon were invaluable.

Lilly Ikle ’26 of Baltimore, Maryland, earned a cinema & television arts degree from the School of Communications. She says the time has flown by and she feels like she was “dropped off yesterday.” Ikle initially came to Elon for its nationally recognized musical theatre program and for Elon’s ability to work with students with learning disabilities.

“My major really helped me get that creative outlet that I wanted in musical theater, but it also gave me the practical side of work I wanted to do in the future,” said Ikle, who plans to move to Nashville after graduation to pursue music. “My major gave me a creative outlet, let me get kind of that artsy side out of me, but also taught me things that I can bring into the real world.”

The Class of 2026 includes many stand-out stories:

• After a trip to Ecuador, Bernardo Vargas-Lopez ’26, who earned a degree in sport management, and Juan Daniel Chiriboga ’26, who earned a degree in entrepreneurship & innovation, built YAPA, a plant-based energy drink shaped by friendship, curiosity and mentorship.
• Kaitlyn Lewis ’26, who earned a degree in elementary education, came to Elon through three of the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education’s primary scholarship programs: Alamance Scholars, NC Teaching Fellows and, post-graduation, Teach for Alamance.
• Jonathan Weaver ’26 originally intended to go into finance, but through exploration and faculty mentorship, switched his major to biology, and is now going to dental school at The Ohio State University.
• Being waitlisted for one program allowed Allie Schult ’26 to realize her true passion for nursing. She now has a post-graduate position at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
• Rony Dahdal ’26, a Goldwater Scholar and Lumen Scholar, earned a degree in computer science, mathematics and philosophy and did three different undergraduate research projects while at Elon. The first was helping to create a mathematical model of complex equations that predict how the human immune system responds to COVID-19; another was developing an autonomous robotic arm to monitor and tend to crops by training the 3D machine-learning model to understand plant anatomy, and a third was developing a method to gather medical vital signs.

All of these students were helped by what student commencement speaker Ruby Radis ’26 of Chicago called the “Elon magic.” Radis, who earned a degree in human service studies, delivered the “Message of Appreciation” on Friday.

“From the moment I stepped onto this beautiful brick-covered campus, one truth became clear: there is magic here,” Radis said. “That Elon magic builds a community where students know their neighbors, teachers and coworkers. Rather
than a quick hello, connections are founded on respect.”

Radis emphasized that Elon helped “emphasize the value of human difference,” and her fellow graduates should take that forward with them.

“Using those lessons, we can work together to uplift each other, amplify voices often left unheard and sprinkle a little of our very own Elon magic on everyone we meet,” Radis said.

That Elon magic builds a community where students know their neighbors, teachers and coworkers. Rather than a quick hello, connections are founded on respect.

Ruby Radis ’26

Be possible-ists

In her charge to the graduates, Elon President Connie Ledoux Book asked the Class of 2026 to look back on their New Student Convocation in 2022, 1,371 days prior.

“That morning, we placed an acorn in your hand, and I asked you to do something simple, and yet profound: To grow deep roots, and to reach high. Today, I look out at you, and I see what’s grown,” Book said.

During their first year, the Class of 2026 all read the Common Reading book “Factfulness” by Hans Rosling. In his book, Rosling described the word “possible-ist:” someone who looks honestly at the world’s problems and still believes, based on evidence, that things can get better, and that they are getting better.

“Class of 2026, through your Elon journey, you have grown into these possible-ists,” she said. “You have learned to hold complexity without losing hope, to see what’s broken without losing your willingness to build, to zoom out and recognize progress, and to keep moving forward. That is the Elon way, and the world needs more of it.”

View the full undergraduate commencement program online.

Patrick Murphy G’01

Assistant vice president for financial aid

Patrick Murphy joined Elon at the beginning of 1994 as bursar for Elon College to find a career that would, as he put it, add positivity to his day. Retiring at the end of the month, Murphy has served in a myriad of roles at Elon, including director of financial aid, senior associate dean and director of financial aid and assistant vice president for financial aid.

During the Faculty/Staff Awards Luncheon, Greg Zaiser, vice president for enrollment, credited Murphy with quietly and deliberately supporting Elon’s growth from a regional college to national and international distinction.

“What I know now is because of Pat’s patience, accessibility and strong desire for success,” added Zaiser.

After retirement, Murphy looks forward to spending more time with his wife and his five grandchildren, who are all under the age of six. He says his favorite memory at Elon was picking up astronaut and former senator John Glenn and his wife from the airport and guiding them across campus to multiple events.

“I will miss the people I work with,” he said. “Elon has been the only place I worked where my friends are also people I work with.”

Beth McCain

Assistant teaching professor of accounting

Beth McCain joined Elon in 2016 teaching part-time as an adjunct after teaching at a community college. She was hired permanently in 2021 as a lecturer and also served as the director of the Master of Science accounting program. She retired on December 31, 2025.

While at Elon, McCain led January Term study abroad courses to Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam and was the inaugural faculty member for the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business study abroad program in Singapore.

At the Faculty/Staff Awards Luncheon, Catherine Chiang, professor of accounting and chair of the department of accounting, described McCain as one of the most dedicated and student-centered educators she had the privilege of knowing. “Your decade of service has shaped careers, strengthened our programs and raised the standards for what it means to be an Elon educator,” said Chiang.

McCain returned the compliments to her department chair and gave a shoutout to Linda Poulson, who gave McCain “a chance” and also to her husband, who was in attendance.

Now retired, McCain is volunteering for Guilford County Animal Services in Greensboro and taking a French course at Elon in preparation for a three-month trip to France in the fall. Reflecting on her time at Elon, McCain said, “I will greatly miss the amazing faculty and staff that I worked with as well as relationships that I developed with my students over the years.”

Linda Niedziela

Associate professor of biology and chair of the Department of Biology

Linda Niedziela joined Elon in 2001 excited to teach courses in genetics and biotechnology. She was attracted to the university’s strengths in undergraduate education and undergraduate research. She will retire at the end of May after serving in a myriad of roles, including biology department chair, assistant professor, associate professor, director of the science branch of Elon College Fellows and the Japheth E. Rawls chair for undergraduate research in science.

Niedziela said she will miss what she calls the “daily therapy sessions.” She shared that every day during the semester, whoever is able will meet for lunch on the first floor of McMichael and discuss wide-ranging topics, including teaching tips, research reports, personal stories about families and pets and anything else that is on the mind of lunch attendees.

She said, “I will miss the wonderful faculty and staff colleagues in the biology department who have become like family to me.”

After retirement, Niedziela and her husband, Carl, an adjunct assistant professor of biology at Elon, who will also be retiring, will travel with their dogs in an airstream travel trailer and spend time in their woodworking shop. She will also be devoting more time training and competing with her Shetland sheepdog in performance dog sports.

Anthony Hatcher

Professor of journalism and chair of the Journalism Department

Anthony Hatcher joined Elon in 2002 and has served as associate professor of journalism, full professor of journalism and the inaugural chair of the Department of Journalism.

Hatcher said he did not have a passport until he joined Elon in his early 40’s. “Since 2004, I have taken students to Hong Kong, South Africa and multiple European countries,” he reflected. Hatcher also created a religion and media course in his first year, which he taught every year since.

One of those colleagues, Harlen Makemson, professor of communication design, praised Hatcher at the Faculty/Staff Luncheon for Hatcher’s empathy and humanity during what he described as a time of upheaval in the media world, brought on by new technologies. “And while it’s true that Anthony Hatcher serves on virtually every major standing committee at Elon, it’s his humanity, his warmth and his care, that is his most impactful service to his university.”

“I will miss being with students, and I will miss seeing my colleagues – my friends – daily or weekly,” said Hatcher. During the ceremony, he added, “I hope in addition to teaching all those wonderful students I’ve had over the past nearly quarter century, I hope in some small way, I made their lives a little better because God knows they helped me be better.

After retirement, Hatcher looks forward to biking, hiking, travel and spending time with his granddaughter. “Writing will be part of retirement as well, since I can’t sing or paint,” he added.

Robert Moorman

Frank S. Holt, Jr. professor of business leadership and professor of organizational behavior

Robert Moorman joined Elon as the Frank Holt Jr professor of business leadership in 2011, a title he held throughout his time at Elon. Retiring in May, Moorman has also served as the department chair for the Department of Management, Entrepreneurship and International Business.

During the Faculty, Staff Awards Luncheon, Haya Ajjan, dean of the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business and professor of management information systems, shared that Moorman has a gift few others do – the ability to ask the types of questions that “make you stop walking, look around at where you actually are and suddenly see it
a question that stays with you for the rest of your life.” Ajjan offered Moorman a golf club afterwards in the spirit of his retirement.

During the ceremony, Moorman shared that education is so much more than reading books and looking at stats. “It’s really about the relationships we have,” he said. “It’s the relationships with our students and the utter joy of seeing people cycle through during this really important time of their lives, you know, touching you and stepping in and stepping out and then seeing them grow as they go.”

Moorman said his favorite memories are those involving friendships with colleagues and partnerships with students. “I have fond memories of a few colleagues congregating in my office talking about the joys and frustrations of the day,” he said.  “I also have fond memories of holding classes that just seemed to ‘work’ that day and then talking with students afterward about how they continued thinking about our discussions.”

After retiring at the end of this month, Moorman looks forward to what he calls unstructured adventure. “I am looking forward to a time of boredom that then grows into something new, unplanned and adventurous. What fun!”

Charity Johansson

Professor of physical therapy education and chair of the Doctor of Physical Therapy Department.

In 1999, Charity Johnsson joined what would become the Doctor of Physical Therapy program as one of its first faculty. She retired in December 2025 after decades of service in which she held positions of associate professor, full professor, faculty administrative fellow, interim associate department chair, interim department chair and program director, department chair and program director and university parliamentarian.

Johansson said she is already missing the “daily exchanges with colleagues whose brilliant minds and genuinely kind hearts” have shaped her over nearly three decades. Likewise, she will miss the students, and their “infectious enthusiasm, their compassion and the joy of watching them transform in ways they hadn’t even imagined possible.”

During the Faculty/Staff Awards Luncheon, Crystal Ramsey praised Johansson as a “cornerstone of the Elon academic community, whose legacy is defined not just by the position she has held, but by the enduring way she has nurtured the hearts, minds and professional identities of future healthcare providers.” Ramsey is an associate professor of physical therapy education and a former student of Johansson’s.

At the ceremony, Johansson reflected on the retirement of Gerry Francis, who served as professor emeritus of mathematics and provost emeritus.

“Gerry Francis told me he doesn’t miss the work, but he really misses the people – and I get that,” she said.

She also said it was a privilege working with so many in the Elon community who have encouraged her, challenged her and made her laugh to help her be a better a human. “Fred Rubeck, you’re among those,” Johansson added, honoring the late professor of performing arts and chair of the Department of Performing Arts.

Now retired, Johansson said she is enjoying time outdoors with family and close friends, planning travel and trying new ventures, including fiction writing.

Marcia Dodson

Program assistant for the Station at Mill Point Neighborhood

Marcia Dodson joined Elon in 2015 and is the proud mother of three sons who graduated from Elon. She will be retiring at the end of May and has served as a service desk analyst for facilities management, program assistant in the Danieley Neighborhood and Station at Mill Point.

A favorite memory of Dodson’s while at Elon is joining the London Experience for staff, where she built relationships with colleagues she had not yet had the opportunity to meet while working at Elon. “What an awesome experience!” she reflected.

After retirement, Dodson looks forward to being a traveling grandparent with her husband.

Rosemary Haskell

Professor of English

Rosemary Haskell joined Elon in 1985 and will be retiring in August. She has held the roles of temporary instructor and assistant, associate and later, full professor of English.

Haskell said she will most miss her kind and interesting colleagues, as well as the “energizing power of the new class of bright-eyed and bushy-tailed first-years each August.”

One of Haskell’s favorite memories at Elon is during the transition of the Fighting Christians to the Phoenix. She enjoyed the papier-mache birds and eggs in trees around campus that offered a clue to the new mascot.

After retirement, Haskell said she plans to spend time with her family and do some home improvement work.

Cheryl Riley

Custodian

Cheryl Riley joined Elon in 2013 as a custodian and will retire at the end of May. “I will miss the people I work with,” she said. “And I look forward to spending time with my grandkids.”

Linda Dunn

Adjunct assistant professor of Peace and Conflict Studies

Linda Dunn joined Elon in 1998 as the director of the Alamance County Dispute Settlement Center, where she trained a group of students and returned to train several faculty members in mediation skills, who later became volunteer mediators for the center. Dunn’s official start date on record is 2001, when she taught a two-credit mediation and conflict resolution skills course as part of a new minor called Nonviolent Studies. She retired at the end of December, 2025.

Federico Pous spoke on behalf of Dunn during the Faculty/Staff Awards luncheon, praising Dunn’s ability to teach hands-on peaceful conflict resolution skills and strategies across different social backgrounds.

“Linda’s way of teaching and interacting with students, staff and professors, makes you feel that you are equal to her in the same community space,” he shared.

“I will miss the students and their passion the things I teach,” said Dunn. Two of her students attended the luncheon.

After retirement, she plans to attend cultural events on campus and potentially assist in future facilitated discussions on campus. She will also continue to volunteer as a mediator at the Alamance County District court, continue restorative circle skills and mediation and training skills with Restorative Justice Durham and the Orange County District County District court.

“I will continue to be an activist for restorative justice and peacemaking organizations as we navigate the chaos and violence in our world,” she added.

Elizabeth Bailey

Assistant teaching professor of exercise science

Elizabeth Bailey began her career at Elon in 2004 and, enjoying the vibe of the community, wanted to be “part of it all.” She started as a lecturer for the required wellness course, lectured for the School of Education before joining Exercise Science.

Retiring at the end of Spring semester, Bailey said she will most miss her colleagues and all the “friends among the faculty and staff” she has made while at Elon.

“I will also miss the opportunities to continue to learn that are available at Elon, whether it be through taking classes or participating in workshops or going abroad,” she added. She said, while at Elon, he has learned a lot.

Bailey said her retirement plans continue to evolve, and she still intends to exercise classes and do some research on the side.

Kim Giles, ’11 G’16

Associate director of communications for the Student Professional Development Center

Since her first role in 1995, Kim Giles has served in various roles at the university, including data entry in admissions and accounting, budget clerk in the physical plant, program assistant for Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Studies, Engineering, Chemistry, and Physics, and assistant director of communications in the Student Professional Development Center.

Giles retired during the summer of 2025. She said she cherishes the opportunity to earn an MBA at Elon along with her daughter. She said about the experience, “what an unforgettable experience that was in crossing the stage along with my daughter to get our MBA’s together – it was quite surreal.”

Giles also reflected on traveling with peers and faculty to Vietnam and Singapore, the many evolutions of Staff Appreciation Day, and being honored as the staff member of the year – an experience she said she will cherish forever.

Since retiring, Giles has taken nine cruises and has done kayaking, camping and gardening. She looks forward to continuing to spend time with family.

Sharon Moss LaRocco

University accompanist and instructor in music

Sharon Moss LaRocco was recognized at the Faculty/Staff Awards Luncheon by Hallie Hogan, associate professor of music. LaRocco joined the Elon Music Department in 1988 as a pianist for musical theater productions, music ensembles and student recitals.

Hogan shared, “Although she kept a very low profile, there was never any doubt about this, because she never missed a beat, much less a note, and maintained high quality for every performance she gave,” Hogan said.

She shared that students developed a strong admiration for LaRocco’s talent and a deep love for her kind and understanding nature.

Beyond Elon, Sharon has devoted herself to advocating for people with autism, through her work as a leader in the Office of Society of North Carolina, notably promoting autism awareness for the Native American communities of Western North Carolina.

At the awards ceremony, LaRocco shared that one of her favorite memories was the construction of Rhodes Stadium, which signaled to her the emergence of a marching band.

“Who doesn’t love a marching band?” asked LaRocco to the audience. “And the spirit and the energy it creates walking through the campus, en route to the games.”

Jana Lynn Patterson

Associate vice president for Student Life/dean of student health & well-being/assistant professor

During the Faculty/Staff Awards Luncheon, Jon Dooley, vice president for Student Life and associate professor of education, described Patterson as someone who is consistent in how she shows up for others, patient when a young leader makes a mistake, honest with students and colleagues even when it is hard and someone who not only believes in others, and one who helps others believe in themselves.

“She supported students in college through tragedy, advised student organizations, and celebrated their success,” said Dooley. “She has created spaces of welcome and belonging, and met the students in their darkest hours, helping them piece together on plans to move forward.”

Patterson was also recognized for her 40 years of service and held back tears while addressing the audience. A first-generation student from Hope Mills, North Carolina, Patterson said her parents could have never dreamed where she is today.

“To my staff and colleagues, you are the A-Team,” she shared. “But to everyone in this community, I want you to know that every day has been an honor and a pleasure to be a part of this community and to have worked with you.”

Also retiring

Retiring staff members will be recognized on May 29 as part of Staff Appreciation Day.

• Joan Barnatt
• Mona DeVries
• Chris Dockrill, head women’s golf coach
• Sharon Hodge
• John Chinnici, community service officer
• David “DD” Donohue, painter
• Kelly Elliston
• Gloria Graves, custodian
• William “Tom” Hall, telecommunications technician
• Rhonda Kosusko, associate director of career services, education and Elon
• Katherine Rodriguez, assistant director for application processing
• Michelle Stephens, custodian
• Ed Williams, service desk analyst
• Donna Wood , electronic services/ acquisitions librarian

Journalist and author Katherine Blunt ’15 acknowledges a challenging reality – that today’s graduates are leaving institutions of higher learning across the country and embarking on professional journeys in a world where artificial intelligence is rapidly changing how people work, learn and think. But she left the students at 51±ŹÁÏÍű’s Graduate Program Commencement ceremony on May 20 with reason to feel hopeful amid so much uncertainty.

While many people may be tempted by the path of least resistance, Elon cultivates leaders who are deeply rooted in collaboration, communication and, most importantly, the ability to think critically.

“As scholars, we have a responsibility to challenge AI’s assumptions in the same way we’ve learned to challenge our own,” Blunt said, “to treat it as a debate partner or research assistant, to find new ways to augment our thinking, not replace the process.”

Elon conferred graduate degrees on students from five master’s-level programs – Master of Science in Accounting, Master of Science in Business Analytics, Master of Business Administration, Master of Arts in Higher Education and Master of Education in Innovation – during a joint ceremony in Alumni Gym, where they were surrounded by the loved ones and faculty and staff mentors who championed their education.

Think about what it took to get here. The value in every paper you wrote or project you tackled came not just from the final product, but the mental strength and confidence you built in the process. You didn’t skip the struggle. You embraced the chance to grow.

Katherine Blunt ’15

In her introduction of Blunt, Dean of the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education Ann Bullock pointed out that Blunt’s work is highly relevant to every graduate from both the School of Education and the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business. Her in-depth reporting on artificial intelligence provides essential knowledge as teachers strive to prepare students to think critically about AI-generated content and digital information. And for those in business, Blunt’s coverage of corporate accountability, energy infrastructure and the explosive growth of AI-driven industries aids in understanding the forces reshaping markets, supply chains and organizational strategy.

Blunt reminded graduates in both fields that AI doesn’t think but rather repeats what has already been said and mimics opinions. Asking it to form opinions and conclusions on our behalf, she said, removes the friction that comes with processing information and generating ideas ourselves.

“That satisfaction is what I hope you feel today,” Blunt said. “Think about what it took to get here. The value in every paper you wrote or project you tackled came not just from the final product, but the mental strength and confidence you built in the process. You didn’t skip the struggle. You embraced the chance to grow.”

Blunt was a Lumen Scholar and news editor of The Pendulum student newspaper at Elon before graduating in 2015 with a degree in journalism and history. She reported first for the San Antonio Express-News and then the Houston Chronicle prior to joining the Wall Street Journal in 2018, covering power, renewable energy and utilities. Her coverage with colleagues of Pacific Gas and Electric was a finalist for the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting and earned top journalism honors including a Gerald Loeb Award.

Blunt is the author of “California Burning: The Fall of Pacific Gas and Electric — and What It Means for America’s Power Grid,” a national bestseller and the 2022 Golden Poppy Award winner for nonfiction. She is now based in San Francisco, reporting for the Journal on Google and how artificial intelligence is reshaping search, along with related stories such as the rapid data-center buildout and its implications for the power grid.

During her Commencement address, Blunt told graduates that their Elon degrees and the relationships they built with professors put them at a distinct advantage in their careers.

“If you are in business, you are prepared to be the strategist who understands the importance of relationships among colleagues, customers and competitors. If you are in education, you are prepared to be the mentor who understands that learning is as emotional as it is logical.

“Algorithms can sort, count and summarize. But only you have empathy, a strong moral compass and the ability to tell a great story. Go do what only humans can do: Act with care, take risks and trust the intuition that comes from living in an imperfect world. Our schools and businesses will be better for it.”

The master’s candidates also heard from Yates May ’23 L’25 G’26, a triple Elon graduate who delivered the Message of Appreciation. A Burlington native with a family full of proud Elon alumni, May began taking Elon classes while still in high school through a dual-enrollment program and went on to double major in strategic communications and journalism, earned her law degree in December and received her MBA during the May 20 ceremony.

She recently asked about 20 current students and alumni to share one word that encapsulates what Elon means to them, and many shared the same word she would choose herself – home. She wondered why Elon felt like home to so many people she spoke with across different fields and experiences.

“I think the answer starts with this – at Elon, we are not anonymous,” May said. “People know when you don’t show up. Professors, they check in. And friends, they notice. In a world that at times can feel so disconnected, this type of connection and care is rare.”

May reflected on how Elon not only teaches students to think critically, but to invest in one another. Elon constantly encourages its students to grow while still making them feel supported, she said, pushing them beyond their comfort zone and reminding them that they don’t have to face moments of uncertainty alone.

“That support system is what allowed so many of us to become the people that we are today,” May said. “And that’s important because soon, each of us will scatter across different cities, different states, different countries, classrooms, courtrooms, newsrooms, businesses, communities all over the world. But when we leave behind Elon, Elon does not leave us. We carry it with us. We carry Elon in the way that we lead, in the way that we treat people, in the way that we show up for others.”

President Connie Ledoux Book closed the ceremony by charging the graduates to be resilient and steadfast like the oak trees for which Elon is named in their next endeavors. As she presented the students with a sapling in recognition of their growth throughout their Elon education, she reminded them that oaks symbolize the strength of Elon’s community – strength that now resides in each of them.

“My hope is that each time you see an acorn or an oak tree,” Book said, “you are reminded of the personal leadership you have developed during your studies at Elon – strengths and skills that I’m counting on you to use to make a positive difference in our world.”

View the complete list of graduates from the spring 2026 Graduate Program Commencement ceremony.

She will also tell you Edison, New Jersey, her hometown, has a tower honoring Thomas Edison. She has visited once.

“It was electric,” Carlsen joked.

That quick humor is part of what makes Carlsen easy to talk to. But underneath the wit is a student-athlete with a clear sense of purpose, a sharp analytical mind and a deep interest in work that keeps people at the center.

Carlsen came to 51±ŹÁÏÍű with one season of volleyball eligibility, a public health background and a question she was still working through: What comes next?

The answer, as it turned out, involved a familiar coach, a new team and a graduate program that helped her see how data could support the kind of mission-driven work she had always cared about.

Carlsen, a Master of Science in Business Analytics student, earned undergraduate degrees in public health and environmental science from Johns Hopkins University. She had spent much of her academic and professional experience drawn to work with a clear purpose, especially in public health and environmental science.

“What stayed consistent for me was wanting to do work that felt mission-driven,” Carlsen said. “I wanted to be part of work that had a clear purpose and could make a meaningful difference for people.”

After completing her undergraduate degree, Carlsen was considering her next step when she reconnected with Matt Troy, who had coached her at Johns Hopkins and was named Elon’s head volleyball coach in December 2024.

Carlsen still had one year of athletic eligibility remaining after an injury earlier in her college career, and Troy saw an opportunity for her to help shape a new chapter for Elon volleyball.

For Carlsen, the possibility of coming to Elon was about more than playing one more season.

“I knew I wanted to continue my education eventually, but I wanted it to feel purposeful,” Carlsen said. “The MSBA program felt like something I could fully invest in.”

Carlsen said the one-year structure, technical focus and support for students from different academic backgrounds made the program feel like the right fit. She saw it as a way to build the skills she wanted while staying connected to work that keeps people at the center.

“Hopkins gave me a strong foundation,” Carlsen said. “At Elon, I saw an opportunity to build on that with technical skills that would help me become a stronger employee and decision-maker.”

Carlsen found that Elon’s MSBA curriculum paired technical skills with practical application. In one trimester, she studied Python and Tableau in Assistant Professor Long Xia’s data visualization course while also taking “Business for the Greater Good” with Associate Professor Elena Kennedy.

For Carlsen, the pairing helped her understand analytics as more than numbers or software. It was also about how information is shared, understood and used.

“You’re getting the technical foundations,” Carlsen said, “but also learning how to translate those findings in a way that is ethical and makes sense to other stakeholders.”

That connection became clearer through her internship with Cone Health, where she worked on patient experience projects. The role helped her see how health care organizations can use data to identify gaps in care, understand patient experiences and make more informed decisions.

“I got to work on a whole bunch of different projects and figure out how every part of health care touches patient experience,” Carlsen said.

The experience helped confirm the direction she hopes to pursue after graduation.

“Ideally, it would be a role that is people-centric, but also uses analytics to make decisions and hopefully make their lives better,” Carlsen said.

Carlsen’s Elon experience also helped her understand leadership in a new way.

In a course taught by Brittany Mercado, associate professor of management and chair of the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship, Carlsen examined her own leadership style, practiced negotiation and worked through real-world scenarios involving conflict, influence and decision-making.

The timing was meaningful. She was coming off her final collegiate volleyball season and beginning to think about how the leadership skills she had built as an athlete could translate into professional settings.

“It was a class based on identifying your own leadership strategies and the way that you lead,” Carlsen said. “It was very tangible.”

Carlsen said Mercado brought leadership concepts to life by creating a discussion-based environment where students could connect course material to their own experiences.

“You can lecture all day long about leadership,” Carlsen said. “But what made the class meaningful was the way she shared real examples and encouraged us to think about how leadership shows up in our own lives.”

Carlsen had spent more than a decade learning those lessons on the volleyball court.

She began playing around age 11 after watching her older sister play. She was drawn to the communication, shared responsibility and constant movement of the sport.

“There are six of you on the court. Everyone is touching the ball at some point,” Carlsen said. “Everything is a team effort.”

At Johns Hopkins, Carlsen competed on a successful Division III team that regularly reached the NCAA tournament, including a Final Four appearance during her senior season. At Elon, she stepped into something different: a new team, a new coaching staff

For Carlsen, coming to Elon was never about stepping into an established program. It was about being invited into one.

“Coach Troy gave me an opportunity I will always be grateful for,” Carlsen said. “I got to come here, work alongside an incredible group of players and help build something we could all be proud of. And I got to do it while getting an education that genuinely changed how I think. I couldn’t have asked for more than that.”

One of Carlsen’s favorite Elon volleyball memories came at Towson, the CAA leader that entered the weekend on an 18-match winning streak.

After dropping the opening match of the weekend, the Elon team came back the next day with nothing to lose and everything to gain.

“When you’re building something new, there’s a freedom to it. Every match is a chance to show people, and yourself, what you’re capable of,” she said.

The Phoenix pushed Towson to five sets and won the final set 17-15, snapping the Tigers’ winning streak and giving Elon its first win over Towson since 2022.

“It felt really good to beat someone that hadn’t been beaten in a long time,” Carlsen said.

That same mix of grit, humor and initiative carried through her graduate year. Carlsen moved to Elon knowing Coach Troy and almost no one else. The cohort structure of the MSBA program helped change that. Students took classes together, worked through the same challenges and built friendships through the intensity of a one-year graduate program.

A January study abroad experience in Madrid and Milan became a turning point for the cohort. The group visited companies, learned about international business practices and spent enough time together outside the classroom to become more than classmates.

“You’re going out to dinner, you’re exploring a city, you’re in it together,” Carlsen said. “That was the point where we were all like, ‘Why not be friends?’”

The trip also gave Carlsen a broader view of how culture shapes business. In Spain, the group met with a U.S. commercial diplomat who discussed adapting to a more relationship-driven business culture. In Italy, students learned about the significance of “Made in Italy” goods and the role of craftsmanship, pace and cultural identity in business.

For a student interested in how decisions are made, the experience reinforced that analytics does not exist in a vacuum. Data helps people make choices, but those choices are always shaped by context.

Carlsen also found support through the Porter Family Professional Development Center, especially from Amanda Traugutt, senior associate director of career services – Love School of Business.

Carlsen reached out shortly after moving to Elon, bringing what she described as “a ton of really big ideas” about life after graduation. Traugutt helped her narrow them down, polish application materials and think more intentionally about possible career paths.

“She will walk with you where you are, but a few steps ahead to help lead you in the right direction,” Carlsen said. “She’s your biggest cheerleader.”

As graduation approaches, Carlsen is looking forward to sharing the moment with the people who understand what the year required. The MSBA program is fast, intense and, for Carlsen, layered with practices, lifts, games, travel, classes and an internship.

Her advice to future students is simple: take initiative.

“The best things that have come up for me have been direct products or byproducts of taking initiative,” Carlsen said.

That includes building relationships with professors, using career resources, connecting with classmates, and paying attention to the opportunities that appear along the way.

“I didn’t come in with a business background,” Carlsen said. “But I am leaving more confident in my ability to hold my ground in conversations about business and analytics.”