Senior Circuit...Ellen CloydEllen Cloyd grew up in Chapin, S.C., about 25 miles northwest of Columbia. Wofford was always the school she didn’t want to attend, right up until her first visit.
“I originally had no intentions of attending or even applying to Wofford simply because my dad and uncle went to Wofford and I had no interest in being a legacy, mostly because I am stubborn,” she says. “My dad really wanted me to apply.
“I knew I wanted to go to a small school, but intended on being far from home. However, at the last minute I decided to take a tour of Wofford and I fell in love with the beautiful campus and the small, tight-knit community feel here.”
And now?
“I am so glad that I chose Wofford. I have made friendships that will last a lifetime, my classes have taught me to be a critical/analytical thinker and the whole experience has shaped me into a much more confident and mature woman. So far, choosing Wofford has been the best life choice I have ever made.”
Once Cloyd got to Wofford, she quickly got involved. She was part of Campus Union as an at-large delegate for three years. She also served on WAC and the Campus Relations Committee.
“Campus Union was a rewarding experience for me because I was able to personally represent Wofford students and their desires on campus,” she says. “I had a hand for those three years in helping shape the campus to be even better than it was before. Regretfully, I did not do a fourth term because I decided to take an executive position in my sorority and wanted to have enough time to devote to that and my academics.”
Cloyd has also been a Wofford Ambassador since her freshman year and an active tour guide all four years.
“Being an Ambassador has been a treat for me because I enjoy knowing that I am helping Wofford recruit prospective students while at the same time it gives me the opportunity to share my experiences. Being a tour guide, you don’t fully realize how much of a difference you are making. Last year a freshman approached me and said I was his tour guide and that my tour was a big influence in his choice to attend this college. That was such an exciting moment in my life!
“I have also been a member of the sorority Kappa Alpha Theta and served as Vice President of Development from December 2008 to last December. Being in this organization has helped me make friends that will last a lifetime and serving on the executive committee taught me skills that will be useful throughout the remainder of my life.”
A religion major, Cloyd is still looking to firm up plans beyond this year. She says she will take a year or two off before going back to school and ideally would love to find a job in the non-profit sector doing marketing or fund raising. Eventually, she will go back to school and intends on getting my Masters in Social Work.
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In the meantime, she is winding down her career at Wofford, looking forward to graduation but also back on all the good times she had here.
“There are so many wonderful memories that I have from my four years here,” she says. “The one that sticks out the most is my sophomore year interim trip to Japan. This is an experience that I will never forget. We had a very diverse group of people on this journey who all bonded and experienced many fun adventures together such as meditation, karaoke, and Kubuki (traditional japanese theater).
“Throughout my Asian excursion I had first-hand experience of a culture that was completely foreign to me, including the food, religion and family life. I was blessed to be able to experience it. I experienced major culture shock, even down to the eating utensils. I remember I spent the first few days that I was there hungry and frustrated before I was able to perfect my chopsticks skills.”
It was a life-changing experience in many ways for Cloyd.
“On my trip, I had the wonderful opportunity to stay with a Japanese family for 10 days,” she says. “They took me to a castle, ancient samurai houses, a japanese calligraphy lesson, a tea ceremony, and many more rich cultural experiences. My host family was quite traditional, and there were a few mornings that I came downstairs for breakfast and there was a fish literally looking back at me on my plate. Needless to say, while I was open to trying new things and embracing the culture throughout my trip, there was some food tasting experiences that were quite an adventure themselves.
“This trip was also extremely rewarding and fascinating for me due to my complete immersion in a culture with a religion that was so different from any I was familiar with. Being a religion major, this was an extraordinary experience for me.
“There were shrines everywhere we went. It was common practice for the typical Japanese citizen to frequent these shrines, washing their hands before entering, bowing, clapping, praying and giving a small money offering. Also, many traditional households had a shrine to their ancestors in their homes and would offer food to them each meal and pray to them every morning. This was intriguing to me, because according to my host family, most people in this country do not claim to be religious if they are asked.”
There was one last aspect of the trip that changed Cloyd, and like the others it was unexpected.
“Probably the most important thing I took from this journey was that I got a taste of what being a minority feels like,” she says. “This has led me to have more respect and understanding for how hard it can be to be different.
“While in Japan, I was continually stared at, and I frequently felt like a creature from another planet. Here I was, a blond haired, blue eyed, typical American girl. No matter how welcoming they may have been, the Japanese were clearly curious about me. I was foreign to them and they made me very aware of this.”