Introducing: PAL Coordinator Ellen Chapman

By Ellen Chapman, December 7, 2021
Meet Our People

Get to know our new Exploratory Program PAL Coordinator, Ellen Chapman!

Headshot of Ellen Chapman

Pronouns: She/Her

Hometown: Buffalo, NY

Major: Emerging Media

Minor: Computer Science

Campus Involvement: Women’s Ultimate Frisbee, President of IC Beyond

Why did you choose Ithaca College? Obviously, the Exploratory program was a huge factor for me. I knew I would need someone to help me find a major, so that was a huge plus. But beyond that, because I wasn't looking for a specific program, it all came down to location. I loved the campus and the town of Ithaca. I knew that I would always have something to do here, whether it was on or off campus. Plus, Ithaca is just the right distance from my family. 

Tell me about your journey to declare your major and minor as an explorer! I was a very chaotic explorer. Admittedly, during my first semester my only goal was to have fun. I was really burnt out after high school and I just wanted learning to be fun again. So it wasn't until my second semester that I started exploring with purpose. I ended up finding my major when my computer science professor suggested the emerging media program to me. They described it as a way to continue studying computer science without only studying computer science which turned out to be what I really wanted!

What is your #1 piece of advice for incoming explorers? You made the right decision. While it’s a little bit different than everyone else’s you’re all going to end up in the same place.

What is your favorite Exploratory program event? My favorite Exploratory event is the fall welcome, when we get to make s'mores! Mostly because of the s'mores...but also because it's the first time we all get back together and catch up after the summer! 

What are you most looking forward to in your new role as PAL coordinator? I'm super excited to be the next PAL coordinator, and there's a lot of responsibilities that comes with that title, but secretly I think I'm most excited about the monthly PAL meetings. I know it sounds crazy, but I'll take any excuse to use a fun new powerpoint theme.

What's one fun thing most people don't know about you? I love magazines. I know that nobody reads magazines anymore, but my mom brings them home from work and our house it full of them! I don't even really read them, it's just fun to flip through the pages and pretend I can afford to spend $200 on sweaters.