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Ever been sitting in class, trying to pay attention, zoning off, staring at nearby classmates, wondering, “Who are these people?”
Each week, The Louisville Cardinal will be introducing someone as”Student of the Week.”
This week we would like to introduce Ellen Whittaker, a sophomore English major.
Whittaker was raised on a five acre farm, the third of four kids in her family. Her parents own an inspirational bookstore and, according to Whittaker, are amazing people. “Family is the most important thing,” said Whittaker.
Growing up on the farm for Whittaker was a little different from other kids. Her family owns llamas and alpacas, a kind of miniature llama, as family pets. Neighbors stop by to feed and pet them. These animals are very domesticated and gentle.
Since becoming a student, and for almost two years, Whittaker has been involved with the University of Louisville Collegiate Chorale. “I get to sing and rehearse with amazing people on a daily basis,”said Whittaker. The Chorale is a prestigious group and has given her some great opportunities.
Last spring the Chorale performed with the Louisville Orchestra featuring Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Last semester the women of the chorale performed in Mendelssohn’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” This past weekend, Jan. 19 – 20, the group performed again with the Louisville Orchestra in “The Lord of the Rings” Symphony, composed by Howard Shore who composed the music for the movies.
Whittaker gets very excited performing with the group. When not going to school, performing with the Chorale or rehearsing for an upcoming performance, Whittaker enjoys her job at Brownsboro Pediatrics, a job she has been doing for approximately five years. “I love kids and I’m definitely a people person,” she said.
In her spare time, which she does not have a lot of, Whittaker loves to read. Her grandmother taught her to read the summer she turned three and she has been an avid reader since, which could explain her choice to be an English major.
Whittaker also enjoys going geocaching, an activity that involves downloading coordinates into a hand held GPS and then looking for that specific location. At each location there is a cache. “It’s like an elaborate treasure hunt – without the treasure,” Whittaker said.
Being a college student means never having to say you’re sorry for not knowing what you want to be when you grow up, and that includes Whittaker. She loves literature; reading it, discussing it and learning as much as possible about it. “I dabble with writing, but mostly it’s the literature that gets me,” she said.
College gives students the opportunity to figure out who they are, and what they want out of life, and there is time to make those decisions, Whittaker said. “Right now I’m just worried about what I’m going to eat for dinner and whether I’ll actually wake up for class tomorrow morning!”
If you are interested in being a student of the week or know someone that would make a good student of the week, let the Cardinal know by sending an email to features@louisvillecardinal.com.
