My sister Ellis Beurle ‘20 is not only dedicated to school — she is also a delight (sometimes) outside of school. She came to St. Luke’s in sixth grade and, since then, has discovered her passion for science, which she’ll be pursuing for the next four years at Wake Forest University.  This senior feature is meant to celebrate Ellis’ unique accomplishments and share her bubbly personality with the rest of the community. 

This fall, Ellis managed the girl’s varsity volleyball team where she took stats, filmed the games, and kept score. According to Ellis, the best part of managing was “spending time with the team during practices, and rides to games.”  Along with managing volleyball, Ellis continued her journey as an admissions ambassador, where she can “introduce new families to the school,” and tell them about her experiences at St. Luke’s since sixth grade. 

 Ellis’s favorite subject is undoubtedly science, specifically biology and chemistry. She just completed her STEM scholars presentation on frostbite, an incredible accomplishment based on months of hard work. Whether it was in the lab studying her and her classmate’s cheek cells, or analyzing seemingly impossible to find information, she persevered through the experiment.  Although she has not yet finished, she hopes to continue studying frostbite in college. 

Beyond her academic accomplishments, Ellis is a kind and friendly face to everyone she meets. She is always willing to say hello to everyone she passes and start a conversation about anything. Last year, she even won the award of “most likely to say hi to you in the halls” from her Biology teacher. Even when she’s tired, Ellis is quick to bring energy into every room.

Outside of school, Ellis loves to watch Caribbean Life and Bahamas Life. For Ellis, television provides a much-needed break from the stress of school. Ellis also loves to share stories of her day, especially when something unexpected happens. Our car rides are filled with stories of her driving experiences at busy lights and her hopes of warmer weather, which — luckily for her — she’ll be getting next year in North Carolina. 

When she’s not at home, Ellis loves to travel. Ellis’ favorite places are Bald Head Island and Florence, Italy. She hopes to live in Florence one day, even if it’s just for a semester. Along with traveling, Ellis loves to ski in the winter and sail and go to the beach in the summer.

Ellis has inspired me through her dedication to school, along with her ability to lighten anyone’s mood. She’s taught me to stick to what I love in school, even when it gets challenging. Also, from Ellis, I’ve learned that sometimes all people need is a good conversation or a greeting in the hall. I’m proud of Ellis not only because of her dedication to her passions but also because she can strike a conversation with anyone she meets, and she constantly aims to reach her dreams.