Senior Ella Stevens has thrived at Berry College, excelling academically and athletically as an economics major on the pre-law track and varsity tennis player. Originally encouraged by a tennis connection, she visited Berry College, 10 hours away from her home in Texas, and immediately knew it was the right fit.
Initially unsure about her major, a class on constitutional law solidified Ella’s plan to attend law school. “The big dream is to one day work for the Supreme Court,” she says. “My goal is to eventually work in appellate advocacy and maybe one day be a judge.”
Her father, who practices law, remarked that the level of coursework at Berry seemed more like that of first-year law school. “He could not believe we were writing case briefings already and being cold-called on like in law school. I feel very prepared for law school by my coursework,” says Ella.
She settled on an economics major after taking the course Poverty and Wealth of Nations to satisfy honors and liberal arts requirements. As Ella progressed in the class, she discovered connections to policy, giving her fresh perspective.
Still, her sophomore year also brought on a difficult injury. Ella tore her ACL and lost two years of tennis playing time.
“I had to learn to be resilient,” explains Ella. “Tennis was the first thing that drew me to Berry, but it was not the only thing I loved about it. Less focus on tennis helped me narrow in on what I wanted from my future.”
Writing a research article on WNBA player Caitlin Clark for a sports economics course also impacted her growth. It’s now under review for publication.
“Economics really surprised me,” says Ella. “I never expected to publish in undergraduate. I went from deciding to take a class to adding a major to looking to publish in that area. As an admissions tour guide, I encourage students not to think too narrowly about what they want to study. The beauty of a liberal arts college is having opportunity to explore.”
Ella touts the value of a small school where students are seen and known. She cites multiple faculty mentors instrumental in her law school preparations and emphasizes how different her experience has been from that of friends at other institutions.
“At Berry, I confidently submit blind recommendation letters for law school applications,” she says. “In comparison, my friends at other institutions say they draft templated letters and have faculty members sign them. They are not personalized, and they cannot send them blind. It is so valuable to have faculty who genuinely care, advise well and know me well enough to provide strong recommendations.”
Beyond academics, Ella’s roles as a tour guide and student government member have honed her public speaking and leadership skills. Despite her injury, she persevered through physical therapy and returned to tennis, while leading the Lambda Sigma Honor Society to a record 700 hours of community service. “I really enjoyed making a difference in my community,” she says.
Ella recently received the J. Wilson Mixon Jr. Outstanding Senior in Economics Award at Berry’s honors convocation. “I can’t say it enough,” she says. “Don’t let your expectations narrow your experience. There are too many good opportunities at Berry College.”
