Katie Ellis
Senior Director for Communications and Marketing
I am one of seven siblings (I’m #5) who are all first-gen college graduates — all successful in their careers after having put themselves through college. World War II ended any hopes of my father pursuing higher education, and my mother was a nurse who earned a Bronze Star serving in the U.S. Army in the Pacific Theater during the war. My father was ill from the time I can remember and became totally unable to work by the time I was 11. With no money to speak of, I relied on scholarships and financial aid to put myself through school — working in the library all four years and even joining the chorus because it paid a small stipend. My college orientation started when one of my brothers dropped me off (with my trunk) in front of my residence hall and drove away. I was on my own for the first time in my life. Luckily, my education has served me well and I love what I do at Binghamton University. I would not have had a successful career without earning a degree.
