Sunday, February 4, 2018

In the Motlow Smyrna Spotlight: Ally Elliott


Interview By Ramona Shelton
Motlow Buzz Managing Editor

         Ally Elliott is president of the Criminal Justice Club, a charter member of the History Club, and a summer 2018 graduate of Motlow State Community College.

Question: Why did you choose Motlow Smyrna?

Answer: "I knew that I would be eligible for Tennessee Promise, but even before that, I already knew that I wanted to come here to Smyrna. Since I went to Smyrna High School, I had heard about Motlow and knew the classes would be smaller and that Motlow offered a ton of classes that I wanted to take."

Question: What advice would you give to a new freshman coming to Motlow Smyrna for the first time?

Answer: "I feel like there is a common misconception that community college isn’t real college. That if you go to community college it isn’t the same thing as going to university, but what people need to realize it that it is better. Being at Motlow gave me the chance to be a part of a family atmosphere. I have had the chance to make a ton of close friends and to get involved in so many things that I doubt I would have been able to at any university."

Question: You are the first president of the newly created Criminal Justice Club. Tell us what the club is all about?

Answer: "Our members have a huge appreciation for everything that our law enforcement community does to keep us safe and this is our chance to connect with them, to learn more about what they do. Last semester, club members participated in a 5K race sponsored by some of the police groups here in Middle Tennessee so that gave us a chance to connect with people in the field but not necessarily in a true “law enforcement” capacity. We’ve had booths at Club Days to get new members. In the future we hope to do some K-9 demos and maybe work with Habitat for Humanity."

Question: What are your plans for after you graduate from Motlow?

Answer: "When I was younger I imagined that I would just go to Florida and California bum around on the beach for a while before coming back here and buying a house to settle down. Now I have changed that and my plan is to take a little break but then go to MTSU to finish my Criminal Justice degree. My other option is to become a production assistant. I have always been interested in the production side of Hollywood, and I have some family connections there so that is always an option. But I definitely decided that education came first!"

Question: Tell us something interesting about yourself.

Answer: "I was lucky enough to travel to Europe several times over the last year. My family lives in Scotland and England, and we had several family weddings that I got to attend. My stepdad and I are both into creepy, adventurous things. During one of our wedding trips, we were wading in one of the waterways and noticed a very old convent that had once been a school. The building was a ruin, large holes in the walls and everything. But since the water was low, we discovered an old staircase that went from the water into the building." (Editor's note- that is something that sounds like a scene from a Nancy Drew mystery!)

"I have never had a job that didn’t connect to celebrities somehow. I have held several positions at celebrity 'meet-and-greets' including helping with crowd control. I learned that crowds don’t mind waiting to meet their favorite celebrities if you make them laugh while they are waiting in line. Thanks to these jobs, I have gotten to hang out with people like Ian Somerhalder and Norman Reedus."

No comments:

Post a Comment