Lifelong Raleigh resident Elle Whitlock grew up regularly passing by the cows on NC State’s dairy farm, but had never visited the university before enrolling in 2020. Starting school during the COVID-19 pandemic left her with little opportunity to explore campus, and she remained a commuter student when in-person classes resumed. Yet, Whitlock was determined to get to know campus inside and out — and take advantage of all the opportunities it offers. 

“I thought, ‘I don’t know anything about this campus. What if I become a tour guide? Then I’ll learn all about the campus,’” she said. 

Whitlock, who earned her B.S. in mathematics from NC State in 2024 and is graduating from the master of statistics program this fall, became a student ambassador for both the university and the College of Sciences. As part of her training, she took a crash-course on NC State history.

“I learned that our original school colors were pink and blue,” Whitlock said. “I learned a lot more than I had originally known about NC State, and that made me love it more.”

One Email, Countless Opportunities

Whitlock learned about the student ambassador programs the same way she’s found many of her opportunities: via email.

“I’ve done a few panels for orientation with the College of Sciences,” Whitlock said. “Incoming freshmen will ask me, ‘What’s the best advice you have for when you come to college?’ I always say, ‘Read your email. If an opportunity seems remotely interesting, just go for it.’”

When an email landed in her inbox about an internship opportunity with the College of Sciences Advancement Office, Whitlock didn’t hesitate to submit her application. She’s been tracking gifts and stewarding donors since her senior year as an undergraduate student. She’ll continue working in the Sciences Advancement office as a temp after graduating from her master’s program, and hopes to use her skill set to improve office processes. 

“I’ve learned how to use the R and SAS programming languages. And hopefully I can bring in that knowledge to streamline some things,” Whitlock said. “Because there are some things that can be done faster than the way we currently do them in Excel.”

The connections she made with Sciences Advancement staff also opened up networking opportunities. On one occasion, staff members invited Whitlock to watch an NC State football game in a suite in Carter-Finley Stadium, where she mingled with statistics and mathematics alumni and faculty. 

“The staff invited me because they had an extra spot and they knew a lot of statisticians would be there for me to interact with,” Whitlock said. “I remember being in the football suite with people like Kimberly Sellers, the head of the statistics department.” 

Being in a room with so many established statisticians and mathematicians was a surreal experience for Whitlock. 

“I had to take a step back in that moment and acknowledge that I got myself into that position,” she said. “Because sometimes it’s easy to overlook how hard you’ve worked to get to a certain point.” 

The Impact of Financial Aid

For Whitlock, the most rewarding part of working with Sciences Advancement has been seeing the direct impact gifts have on students. 

“I’ve been able to see that financial aid helps students take on opportunities they normally wouldn’t be able to,” she said. “It allows them to focus on pursuing their education or doing things they’ve always wanted to do, like research, which is usually an unpaid position at the undergraduate level.” 

Whitlock, a Pack Promise Scholar, knows firsthand the difference financial aid makes. The initiative provides a package of grants, loans and work-study jobs to reduce loan indebtedness for North Carolina residents whose families’ incomes are at or below 150% of the poverty line.

“I knew I’d need a full ride if I was going to go to college,” Whitlock said. “When I got accepted to NC State and found out I qualified for Pack Promise, I thought, ‘This is kind of perfect.’ I get to live at home — because I live 20 minutes from campus — and I don’t have to worry about finances.”

When she was deciding on master’s programs, she was able to stay at NC State due to financial aid opportunities. 

“I was really lucky in that they had some extra teaching assistant positions available, which they normally don’t for master’s students,” Whitlock said. “I was able to get my tuition covered that way, which was really nice.”

Whitlock has completed back-to-back degrees, but she isn’t done with school just yet. She plans to eventually pursue a Ph.D., studying the intersection of STEM and the social sciences. As her time as an NC State student comes to a close, she’s reflecting on a great piece of advice she received from Jamila Simpson, associate dean for college success and well-being, which sums up her college experience. 

“Something [Simpson] always says is, ‘This is the one time in your life where opportunities will come to you, so take advantage of the fact that a lot of people want to engage with you,’” Whitlock said. “I really like that quote from her, because it’s true.”