Ellis School Graduates | Alumnae Success & Stories

Ellis Alumnae Spotlights

Five More Minutes: How an Ellis Education Shaped Carolina Vélez ’06’s Advocacy Journey

Carolina Vélez ’06 remembers the last family vacation as a picture-perfect escape. She and her husband, Adam, traveled to a Western Mexico beach town, with sixteen family members—parents, sister Nicole Vélez ’00, cousins, and friends. The setting felt impossibly secure: a gated peninsula with immaculate grounds, attentive staff. Each day, they rotated between beach clubs, riding golf carts under cloudless skies. By every measure, it was idyllic.
A Legacy of Helping Others

How Three Ellis Alumnae Are Making Their Mark on Maternal Health in Allegheny County

Alumnae speak frequently and fondly of the lasting friendships they formed as students at The Ellis School. An environment where girls are encouraged to be their authentic selves, raise each other up, and create close connections with their classmates, the Ellis campus has been the starting point for so many decades-spanning camaraderies.
All in the Family

A four-generation Ellis family on the importance of girls’ schools, the impact of Ellis, and ensuring a legacy that will benefit future generations of girls and young women

On a busy day in May, when The Ellis School’s students and teachers excitedly looked ahead to end-of-year ceremonies and Commencement, Louise Kay CHILDS Woodside ’87 visited campus and indulged in some quiet time to look back.
Alumna Spotlight: Five Questions for Colleen DAILY Simonds ’95

Colleen DAILY Simonds has carved out a reputation for designing spaces that are as bold and original as they are beautiful. An accomplished interior designer who has been featured in publications including House Beautiful, Luxe, Good Housekeeping, and The New York Times, Colleen has built a career that seamlessly combines business and beauty. Whether it’s an unexpected use of color or a fearless combination of pattern and texture, her aesthetic is unapologetically distinctive—and she credits Ellis with nurturing the sense of self that allows her to trust her instincts.
Future Vision: Kjerstin Pugh ’03 on Peacebuilding, Art, and Inclusion

Peacebuilding can feel like a big, complicated system, conjuring images of high-stakes negotiations or global summits. But for Kjerstin Pugh ’03, peace begins in the quiet moments—when people come together, share space, and begin to truly see each other.
Rachel EKSTROM Courage ’98 Finds the Story in Every Chapter

For Rachel EKSTROM Courage ’98, storytelling has always been at the heart of her life. As a literary agent, publishing professional, and author, she’s built a career on championing voices and stories that inspire, challenge, and connect readers. But when she looks back, she’s quick to credit her earliest lessons in storytelling to her time at The Ellis School.
One Year After Ellis: Francesca LaRoche ’24

Despite some initial nervousness about leaving Ellis for a school where she didn’t know anybody, Ellis Lifer Francesca LaRoche ’24 immersed herself in college life.
Maddie Gallagher ’12 Takes Philanthropic Angle in Banking Career

Maddie Gallagher ’12 has a career in banking, but her heart is in philanthropy. As a Product Manager for U.S. Bank, she specializes in banking strategies for special segments, overseeing marketing initiatives for products and services for groups including students and military families.
Fostering Bold Change: Cally MYHRUM ’06 Seeks to Fill a Gap in the Insurance Industry

After spending much of her career in management consulting and human-centered design strategy in large IT enterprises, Cally MYHRUM ’06 didn’t have working in the insurance industry on her radar.
Heather BOSSERT Cunningham, Ph.D. ’89 Helps Teachers Focus on Cultural, Racial Awareness in the Classroom

From an early career experience as an English as a Second Language teacher, Heather BOSSERT Cunningham ’89, Ph.D. knew that education would be the focus of her professional work—and, more importantly, that it was her passion.
Passion for Art a “Golden Thread” Through Beth HORN ’95’s Tech Industry Career

Beth HORN ’95’s career is as unique as her interests, perfectly threading her passion for music and the performing arts into roles where her sharp business mind and eye for innovative brand marketing shine. Working across an industry that’s known for rapid change, she’s seen her fair share of challenges and has helped her companies navigate them—thanks, in no small part, to the confidence and values instilled in her as an Ellis student.
Ellis Pillars Propel Lauren SCHULTZ ’00 into McDonald’s Leadership

Lauren SCHULTZ ’00 didn’t think she’d ever work at McDonald’s, let alone make a career of it. But that was before she experienced the energy and values of the brand, and the scale and scope of the international corporation. She has now been with the company for 14 years, first with Ronald McDonald House Charities as Manager of Marketing and Communications, and then with McDonald’s USA.
Amanda HOLLAND-MINKLEY, Ph.D. '91 Echoes Ellis Experience in Her Higher-Ed Classroom

From her days as an Ellis student who loved problem solving in math class to her current work as a college professor, Amanda HOLLAND-MINKLEY ’91 has been enthralled by the experience of learning.
Sara NESS '09 and Her Revolution of Authenticity

When Sara NESS ’09 graduated from Ellis and began her freshman year at the University of Texas, she quickly learned a lesson many people encounter at that time in their lives: living with people is hard, especially in communal settings like college residence halls. But where most might see a housemate situation to tolerate, Sara saw an opportunity to learn from her peers—and to teach others how to do the same.
Nell COX Yates ’02, Visual Arts Educator and Owner of Birdhouse Ceramics

It’s no exaggeration to say that Nell COX Yates ’02 sees art everywhere. A secondary art educator since 2009, Nell has spent the past 17 years working with students of all ages and sharing her love of ceramics and 3D design in a variety of studio settings. From serving as the Visual Arts Department Chair at Viewpoint School to owning and managing Birdhouse Ceramics, a small-batch pottery studio, out of her home in California, this lifer has made a colorful career out of a passion that was sparked in Ellis’ own art studios.
Amy WOLF ’96, Asst. Director Digital Media & Marketing

As the Assistant Director for Digital Media and Marketing at The New York Community Trust, Amy WOLF ’96 thrives on finding creative and powerful ways to share the impact of New York City’s community foundation--one of the top funders of local nonprofits. Since joining The Trust in 2008, Amy has led a multitude of highly visible projects. From redesigning their website twice to producing advertising campaigns from soup to nuts to shaping The Trust’s e-marketing and social media presence, Amy is a master storyteller and creative leader who helps donors understand how their generosity can be turned into action.
Lauren DRAKE '16, PhD Candidate

After completing her undergraduate degree in bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania in 2020, Lauren DRAKE ’16 chose to continue her studies and is now pursuing a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering at Vanderbilt University. During her time at Penn, Lauren worked as an undergraduate researcher in the Shorter Lab, studying the biochemical mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration and contributing to multiple projects and papers. In addition to these pursuits, she completed minors in creative writing and journalism and received Honors in English for her creative thesis. As a member of the Lippmann Lab at Vanderbilt, Lauren improves the complexity of brain organoids for use as a physiologically relevant neurodegenerative disease model. She was recently awarded a National Institutes of Health T32 Alzheimer’s Disease training grant. She is also a member of the executive board of the Diversity and Science Lecture Series at Vanderbilt.
Lauren INDOVINA '01, Director

Lauren INDOVINA ’01 is an Emmy Award-winning Director and Visual Artist based in Los Angeles. She is best known for her ethereal visuals and multifaceted approach to art, design, film techniques, and branding. With a background in fine art and fifteen years in advertising, she has created original art and directed for internationally acclaimed design, animation, VFX studios, and agencies. Her work is included in the Museum of Modern Art’s permanent motion collection, her sculptures have been exhibited at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, she has directed Super Bowl ads, and her art has been on display on Rodeo Drive, at Radio City Music Hall, and in Times Square. Most recently, Lauren earned credits as the concept designer for Beyoncé's film Black Is King and the animation director for Amazon's Utopia series. She is currently directing and designing scripts for animated feature content and developing artificial intelligence and virtual reality characters and narratives.
Marsha RUCKER '86, Attorney

As the regional attorney for the Birmingham District of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Marsha RUCKER ’86 manages and litigates cases to further the eradication of unlawful employment discrimination. Marsha began her career with the EEOC as a trial attorney in the Birmingham District Office in 2008 and became the District’s regional attorney in December 2016. Prior to coming to the EEOC, Marsha was in-house counsel for two large public housing authorities. Early in her career, Marsha was a staff attorney for the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland. In this capacity, she represented more than 500 clients in various courts and tribunals in matters involving federal and state housing law, contract law, and public benefits. In 2019, Marsha’s work was recognized with the EEOC’s Chair’s Organizational Performance Award, the highest honor conferred within the organization. Marsha received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Duke University and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law where she was a Patricia Roberts Harris National Fellow.
Nancy HAYES Kilgore '65, Writer

While at Ellis, Nancy HAYES Kilgore ’65 fell in love with the books assigned to her in English class and realized she wanted to become a novelist. Her dream came true, and today Nancy is preparing to publish her third novel, Bitter Magic, later this summer. Now, along with being a writer, she works as a pastoral psychotherapist in Burlington, Vermont, and leads writing workshops for people to write and reflect on their own lives in a safe and welcoming space.