Meet nine Elon alumni whose everyday work is shaping lives, communities and industries.
An Elon education doesn’t just prepare graduates for a job. It shapes how they think, lead and care. These nine alumni aren’t chasing headlines or titles. They’re making a difference quietly, consistently and with purpose — in classrooms,
communities, boardrooms and beyond.
Bridging Worlds, Building Change
David Clubb ’95
Lifelong learner, innovative educator, nonprofit leader // Christiansburg, Virginia
For David Clubb, international education was never just about programs. It was always about people, perspective and purpose. Over the course of almost three decades in higher education, he helped universities across the country deepen their global engagement, build sustainable partnerships and expand access to transformative learning.
Today, as executive director of the Blacksburg-based Cranwell Family Foundation, he’s applying those same values in a new way, helping to connect people, nonprofits and ideas across local and global divides. His “locally grounded, globally minded” approach is built on the belief that meaningful leadership happens at the intersection of the local and the global.
“I like to think of it as building bridges, not silos,” he says, “and fostering change that is both far-reaching and deeply felt.”
Clubb didn’t come to Elon expecting to work in international education or philanthropy, though his ties to the university ran deep (his father, Ranny Lee Clubb, graduated in 1972). Courses in philosophy and religious studies, paired with a deeply relational campus culture, helped him develop the mindset to navigate across cultures and remain open to the complexity of the world. “Elon taught me how to ask deeper questions, how to engage across differences, how to lead with both curiosity and compassion,” he says.
I’m drawn to opportunities where I can empower individuals, organizations and communities to shape their own future; where I can use the power of collaboration to leverage collective strengths for greater impact; and where I can lead with the long game in mind, focused not on the (singular) splash, but on the (sustainable) ripple.
His work today spans continents and causes: mentoring global scholars, strengthening community-based nonprofits and cultivating networks of changemakers committed to collective impact. He’s also a proud dad of five and recently celebrated his 30th wedding anniversary with his college sweetheart, Shannon Kuhns Clubb ’95.
In all of it, Clubb brings intentionality and care. At the heart is a belief in the transformative power of education and the responsibility to expand access to it. “Education, at its core, equips individuals with the tools to shape their futures,” he says. “Philanthropy allows us to remove barriers and unlock that potential for others. I see education as both a tool and a catalyst for philanthropy.”
Whether he’s mentoring a student, guiding a grantmaker or building a cross-cultural partnership, Clubb believes the most meaningful change happens slowly, through building trust, learning from one another and showing up with care.
“Elon gave me that framework,” he says. “It has been critical to shaping my approach to leadership, diplomacy, education and social change.”
The Mission is the Community
The Rev. Donna Vanhook ’07
Faith leader, civic steward, environmental advocate // Burlington, North Carolina
When the Rev. Donna Vanhook says her office is Alamance County, she means it. Most days, the longtime advocate and elected official can be found on the ground, meeting with families facing food insecurity, organizing communities or pushing for environmental and social justice.
Raised in Morgantown, a historically Black neighborhood in East Burlington, Vanhook witnessed firsthand the effects of systemic neglect. Her connection to the community runs deep, especially to the long-shuttered Western Electric plant (formerly the Tarheel Army Missile Plant), which once powered the local economy and employed hundreds of people, including Vanhook. Today, she is among the voices demanding accountability and justice as residents push for cleanup of the contaminated site.
“That’s just how I show up,” she says. “That’s my call until I feel I’ve completed my mission.”
She came to Elon as a nontraditional student following a career in law enforcement. An on-the-job injury changed her path, but professors like Jim Pace and John Sullivan saw leadership potential and encouraged her to pursue seminary. With a degree in religious studies and a minor in human services, she went on to earn a master’s in divinity and a second in nonprofit management. What began as a calling to preach expanded into a broader calling for social justice. “Ministry for me is not limited to the four walls of the church,” she says.
I use my influence to help others find courage and hidden capabilities to advocate for themselves and others.
Vanhook carries that conviction into her role as an elected supervisor on the Alamance County Soil and Water Conservation District Board — the first Black woman to hold that office. From fighting environmental injustice to pushing for healthier neighborhoods and food access, she models what it means to be a civic steward. “We’ve been spinning our wheels for so long,” she says. “But I think we’re on the way.”
Her time at Elon gave her the tools to organize, speak out and lead change, skills she uses to this day as she works on making as much impact as possible.
As she contemplates her career in public service, she’s focused on making as much impact as possible. Her long-term hope is simple: “I would love to see less barriers to improve the quality of life for all. I want young people to grow up in a place that’s healthier, and to know they have the power to shape it.”
Serving with a Global Vision
Kelley Blakewood ’09
Business leader, global citizen // Chicago
Kelley Blakewood is as driven in her professional life as she was on the college volleyball court, and she credits Elon’s student-athlete culture with laying the foundation for her success.
Blakewood spent the first two years of her collegiate career at North Carolina State University before transferring to Elon. She was immediately struck by the way student-athletes were encouraged to immerse themselves in academics and co-curricular life as well as athletics.
“The Elon experience really encourages engagement in all facets of life,” Blakewood says. “That’s something that plays really well within the corporate world, because the more engaged you are, the more likely you are to see success in whatever you’re doing.”
Blakewood excelled on the court and in the classroom. As a senior, she was named the team’s MVP and garnered Academic All-SoCon honors. She majored in marketing with a minor in Spanish and studied abroad in Mexico during Winter Term her junior year.
“You’re not just sitting in lecture halls; you’re encouraged to be intellectually curious,” Blakewood says. “That’s something that has served me very well in my career today, particularly in the highly complex financial services industry.”
Every day I learn something new, and that mindset is
something that you have to have to continue to grow
and evolve in this type of fast-paced industry.
Since earning her master’s degree in integrated marketing communications at Northwestern University, Blakewood has spent the bulk of her career at CME Group, the world’s largest futures and options trading exchange. She now serves as executive director and global head of sales operations and enablement, leading a team that’s responsible for driving commercial excellence, client growth and sales performance.
Blakewood’s Spanish minor and study abroad experience helped her land her first international marketing manager role at CME, in which she led marketing efforts in Latin America and helped spearhead the firm’s first Spanish and Portuguese websites. She later took another international assignment in Hong Kong before settling in Chicago.
Globally and strategically minded, Blakewood continues to be shaped by the intellectual skills she cultivated in the classroom and the teamwork and grit she developed as a student-athlete.
“A lot of the skills that I grew and nurtured with Coach [Mary] Tendler and with our team are really valuable in a corporate environment,” Blakewood says. “It gives you an ability to thrive, to naturally be competitive and to want to stay ahead of the curve.”
The Road to Reinvention
Cara Maaghul ’14 and Matt Albers ’15
Elon Poll alumni, career multihyphenates // New York
Cara Maaghul’s and Matt Albers’ trajectories haven’t been straight lines, but a series of intentional moves that have expanded their skillsets and enhanced their worldviews.
The couple, who met as Elon students and married in 2021, have both embarked on significant career pivots. Maaghul and Albers majored in political science at Elon and enjoyed successful careers in the political sphere before forging new paths in medicine and marketing, respectively.
“Elon gave me the liberal arts background I needed to feel confident making such a drastic career change,” Maaghul says. “Each professor was so invested in their subject area and really influenced me to follow what I was passionate about, even if that happened to change as I continued to grow.”
Maaghul and Albers worked with the Elon Poll, conducting statewide and national surveys about issues important to North Carolina voters and ultimately advancing to supervisory roles. Talking one-on-one with community members about their priorities and concerns exposed them to every political opinion imaginable on a human level.
“[Elon instilled] a continued curiosity about the problems in front of you,” Albers says. “There is always more to learn.”
Switching from politics to marketing for a major entertainment company was not something I’d ever thought of as an option, but when the opportunity presented itself, I felt prepared by the base I built during my time at Elon. — Matt Albers
That experience paved the way for careers in polling and research consultancy in Washington, D.C., Maaghul at The Mellman Group and Penn Schoen Berland and Albers at KRC Research, Data Trust and the American Petroleum Institute. But as their lives evolved, so did their interests, and the intellectual curiosity Elon instilled in them empowered them to make their new dreams a reality. Maaghul enrolled in the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program at the New York Institute of Technology and Albers joined the consumer insights and marketing strategy team at Peacock.
“While it’s far removed from the political opinions we were analyzing at the Elon Poll, finding unique insights via first party has always been something I’ve been passionate about, and I enjoy being able to continue that work in my career,” Albers says.
Maaghul’s and Albers’ Elon experience amplified skills they use in all facets of life — the confidence to step outside their comfort zone, a lifelong passion for learning, a service-
oriented work ethic and a respect for human differences. Maaghul graduated this spring and now employs these skills every day as a preliminary internal medicine intern at New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital. Next year, the couple will move to Baltimore for Maaghul’s anesthesiology residency at the University of Maryland.
“My humanities background has only benefited me as I’ve moved from the political world into medicine,” she says. “Viewing medicine through a different lens, understanding how to relate to a wide variety of people and patients — it’s all related.”
Turning Pain into Purpose
Amanda Tocci Costanza G’17
Physician assistant, survivor, patient advocate // Pittsburgh
Amanda Tocci Constanza refined an impressive set of skills during her time at Elon and beyond, but her greatest asset as a health care provider is her empathy and compassion for the patients she serves. It’s been a critical piece of her journey from physical therapist to brain aneurysm survivor to physician assistant.
“Building a career that is both highly skilled and deeply personal means not only striving for continued improvement and high-quality patient care, but also showing up every day with empathy, genuine curiosity, purpose and hope,” she says.
Costanza studied biobehavioral health and kinesiology at Penn State University before pursuing her Doctor of Physical Therapy at Elon. She immersed herself in practical and intellectual experiences, such as volunteering with the HOPE Clinic and working with the Journal of Student Physical Therapy Research.
“Elon created an environment that produced not just knowledgeable graduates but well-rounded, dynamic, competent and compassionate providers,” Costanza says. “That kind of preparation doesn’t just shape a career path. It shapes how you show up for others every day.”
Constanza returned to her home state of Pennsylvania after graduation and joined the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center as a physical therapist, but her own experience as a patient changed her career trajectory. She underwent a craniotomy for an unruptured brain aneurysm in 2013 and endured a repeat occurrence in 2021.
The difference between a job and a career lies in the passion you bring, the impact you make and the idea that your work becomes part of who you are.
After that, Costanza wanted to be on the other side of the ICU bed, supporting patients and their families through the kinds of life-changing experiences she went through herself. Fueled by the same curiosity and commitment that defined her Elon experience, she enrolled in the physician assistant program at the University of Pittsburgh.
“That experience fuels my empathy, sharpens my communication and truly informs every aspect of how I care for others,” Costanza says. “The combination of clinical knowledge and perspective that my DPT and PA degrees have provided allows me to care for patients across a broader spectrum, from diagnosis to recovery.”
Costanza is now a neurosurgical physician assistant at UPMC, working with the same medical team that saved her life twice. Her Elon experience remains a core part of her clinical practice.
“The values and habits I learned at Elon continue to shape how I approach every patient, colleague and challenge,” she says.
Learning Without Limits
Courtney Kobos Smith ’19
Educational leader, international bridge builder // Mebane, North Carolina
At Elon, Courtney Kobos Smith was inspired to be curious, say yes to new opportunities and reflect deeply on her experiences, a philosophy she now expertly imparts to students across the globe.
Smith works on the inbound high school foreign exchange placement team at CIEE, a nonprofit study abroad and intercultural exchange organization. She connects international high school students with educational opportunities and host families in the U.S. and provides ongoing support throughout their experience.
“Most of these students are visiting the United States for the first time and will return to their countries full of inspiration and new ideas,” Smith says.
She cultivated her passion for education and international stewardship at Elon. An English literature major with teacher licensure, she was a Teaching Fellow and recipient of the Leadership Prize.
It was amazing to have school observation and internship experiences all four years of college. We had real-life experiences and coaching from professors on what to expect — the good and the bad.
Associate Professor of English Jennifer Eidum’s class Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages inspired Smith’s research, which explored the challenges faced by English-as-a-second-language teachers while she worked to develop programs to empower teachers. She credits professors like Eidum and the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education’s signature school observation and internship experiences with paving the way for her career in education.
“[Professor of Education] Jeff Carpenter reminded us frequently that life is less about one’s circumstances and more about how one perceives these circumstances,” she says. “We also learned the importance of advocating for ourselves and our students — a practice I push myself to do regularly.”
After graduation, Smith received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant grant to teach English in the Czech Republic. She then taught at the Alamance-Burlington Early College for four years before joining CIEE full time. Since she was deeply impacted by the Fulbright program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of State, she is particularly passionate about giving back by helping to place international students in three scholarship programs also administered by the Department of State.
“My experiences as a classroom teacher in the U.S., Fulbright English teaching assistant in the Czech Republic and local coordinator of exchange students all have something in common,” Smith says. “There is value in taking the time to learn about other people, help them feel seen (especially when you’re in a position of power) and empower them to know that they matter.”
Everyday Warrior
Sarah Collins-Boggins ’20
Air Force officer, social worker, J.D. candidate // Seattle, Washington
Sarah Collins-Boggins has never been afraid to question the rules or reimagine what’s possible. A commissioned officer in the U.S. Air Force, she is currently a full-time law student at the University of Washington School of Law, building on her past experiences to pursue justice at both the policy and personal levels.
Collins-Boggins came to Elon intending to major in STEM and graduated with a degree in applied mathematics. But it was the liberal arts courses — particularly in peace and conflict studies and criminal justice — that challenged her worldview and changed her most. “Elon gave me the confidence to embrace the scattered, ever-changing path I’ve followed,” she says. “It helped me uncover passions I didn’t know I had.”
Those passions led her to a Master of Science in Social Work, where she found herself drawn not to clinical work, but to systemic change. During her practicums, she helped facilitate racial processing groups and worked in domestic violence prevention and youth development. That’s when she realized that to advocate for the dismantlement of unjust policies and practices more effectively, she needed to understand the law. “The law and our social livelihood are inherently intertwined,” she says.
I carry curiosity and a healthy dose of skepticism with me wherever I go because of Elon.
Today, Collins-Boggins is pushing for antiracist and gender equity reforms while raising her young daughter and challenging narrow ideas of leadership. With the unwavering support of her husband, Zach g’20, she’s been able to navigate the demands of parenthood and law school with balance and purpose.
At the Air Force, she’s helped identify recruiting gaps in underserved communities and launched a menstrual equity initiative. As a Department of the Air Force Fellow, she studied the impact of local environmental legislation on public housing. She’s also learned to name what she needs — from pumping breaks to childcare flexibility — and to reject the myth of perfection. “It’s beyond freeing to let go of the pressure to always be at the top of the food chain,” she says.
Through it all, she carries lessons from Elon: to stay curious and challenge power and the status quo. “Elon taught me to ask: Why is this the rule? Who made it? Who benefits from it?”
As she prepares for what comes next, she’s holding space for what she calls “a more liberated way of living and working,” one rooted in justice and joy.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the subject and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, Department of Defense or the U.S. Government.
Overcoming the Unpredictable
Anton L. Delgado ’20
Freelance multimedia journalist // Southeast Asia
Anton L. Delgado’s professional journey hasn’t gone exactly according to plan, but that’s what has made it meaningful. When he graduated in May 2020, at the height of a global shutdown, the future felt uncertain.
After nearly 70 job applications, he landed just two offers and chose one in Arizona, where he reported on the U.S.-Mexico border, wildfires and climate change’s impact on the Colorado River. Those experiences sparked a passion for environmental reporting and eventually brought the born-and-raised Filipino back to his home region of Southeast Asia.
There, the unpredictability continued. A promising staff job in Cambodia was shuttered in 2023. Suddenly, Delgado, who once dreamed of a decades-long newsroom career, found himself navigating the freelance world. “None of what I had envisioned for myself has gone according to plan, and probably for the better,” he says. “It pushed me out of my comfort zone. I’ve had to pick up a lot of new skills that I never would have learned.”
The biggest thing that Elon gave me was the ability to adapt to situations and think on my feet.
Through it all, his reporting has remained focused on the environment, not in isolation, but as a thread running through politics, business, conflict, migration and public health. “I can’t think of a story in the world that doesn’t somehow relate to climate and the environment,” he says. “That’s why I’ve made it my beat.”
At Elon, he learned to be curious, adaptable and relentless. Elon News Network mentors like Kelly Furnas and Rich Landesberg — along with faculty like Colin Donohue and Anthony Hatcher — grounded him in humility and hustle. “I wasn’t a natural reporter,” he admits. “I just spent more hours than most doing it, and doing it badly, until I got better.”
Today, Delgado’s stories appear across platforms and continents. He mentors young journalists at Elon and beyond and continues chasing meaningful stories. And while he doesn’t know what the future holds (he still hopes to be a newsroom man one day), he is ready to go where the road takes him.
“The journalism industry these days is a hustler’s paradise,” he says. “I’m doing work that matters, speaking to people who are rarely interviewed in places that rarely get coverage. That is what I dreamed of doing. And in a shocking, absolutely flabbergasting turn of events, five years later, I’m doing it.”