by Sherry Heesacker Bosch

Her high school psychology teacher’s words, "You can get a great education and really make something of yourself after you graduate," still ring clear in Senior Judy Ellenburg’s mind. They were the impetus for her coming to Berea.

Those words have proved to be true for Ellenburg both personally and professionally, and have remained a driving force for her.

Ellenburg assists a customer at the Log House. A student manager since her sophomore year, Judy, an economics major, believes Berea’s work program is an education in itself.

Yet, Ellenburg has another personal motivation that causes her to do her best–she wants to aspire to things her family had not previously accomplished.

"No one in my family is settled in a career," she said. "No one ever graduated from high school or went to college. I want to do those things that my family was never able to do. Berea helps you do that."

She already has learned many skills through her labor position as the student manager of the Log House Craft Gallery. The position is one usually held by a junior or senior, but Ellenburg has held it since her sophomore year.

"I love learning about the history of Berea, the crafts program and about the community," she said. "You get to meet new people all the time, and I enjoy talking with our customers."

Ellenburg said she takes the Student Crafts Program motto, "A Tradition of Excellence," to heart.

"That’s exactly what it is and why we have to be particular with the crafts to make sure they look perfect for the customers," she said.

Even without prior sales or marketing experience, Crafts Shops Manager Lorrin Ingerson, ’94, says Ellenburg has a keen sense of merchandising.

"Judy has a really unique perspective in that she understands the College Crafts business operation from manufacturing to marketing," said Ingerson. "She knows the stock, how the business is operating and how we meet the challenges of the (crafts) industry. She also has developed a great eye for displays."

Ellenburg is responsible for creatively displaying student crafts, selling merchandise, keeping financial records of sales, tracking inventory and managing other student workers.

Combining what she learns in her economics courses with her three years of experience at the Log House, Ellenburg is acquiring a strong sense of her major because she hears terms and sees concepts from her economics class unfold in the daily business of the store.

"It helps me understand economics better," she said. "Whether we are going to be up or down (in sales) and just how things in the environment affect our sales."

Ellenburg is convinced the labor program is an education in itself, and believes she now has a variety of skills and a work ethic that will ensure her success.

"I believe labor and education go hand in hand," she said. "Before coming to Berea, I didn’t know anything about computers, dealing with upset customers or managing peers, but working in the program has given me many skills I can take with me after graduation."

A Log House broom display is reviewed by Ellenburg and (from left) Lisa Bell, sophomore studio art major from Bowling Green, and Sara Malicote, freshman biology major from Berea. Ellenburg is well respected by her peers for her leadership role at the Log House.

Supervising student workers also has boosted Ellenburg’s self-esteem and has helped her overcome her shyness.

"Before, I was kind of shy, and you can’t be shy when you have to tell someone to do a certain job," she said.

In addition to overcoming her shyness, managing her peers also has taught her to be more assertive and self-confident.

"Her standards are high and Judy has the respect of student employees at both shops (Log House and Boone Tavern Gift Shop)," Ingerson noted. "Her leadership role with her peers has been an excellent learning experience for her."

In addition to a 15-plus hour labor commitment to the Log House, and responsibilities of her labor assignment, Ellenburg carries a full academic load. She also is the President of the Baptist Student Union and will be participating in her first mission trip to Bolivia during the upcoming January Short Term.

Concurrently, she is planning her wedding, scheduled the day before graduation, and celebrating her birthday all in the same week.

"My family is from Alabama and they would have to miss one of the events (the wedding or the graduation), if I didn’t have it the same weekend," she said.

She also is preparing to take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) to get into a master’s program in secondary education at Eastern Kentucky University.

Ellenburg wants to teach high school economics, but says she may work as a financial officer in a bank until Kentucky includes economics in the required general curriculum.

Ellenburg said the combination of her job and studies has helped her develop a strong work ethic.

She said her energy and time management comes from a concept she learned in economics, "you have to maximize your utility."

"The work ethic at Berea teaches you to be a hard worker, to do your best, to stay on top of things," she said. "If I hadn’t come to Berea, I wouldn’t have a college education. And the labor program has laid a foundation for my future career."