Elizabeth O'Brien
Year that you graduated EDS: 2009
Where are you in school or work now? I am currently a Senior at High Point University, I am majoring in Elementary Education and am pursuing my Masters in Elementary Education with a concentration in S.T.E.M..
What do you miss about EDS? What I miss the most about EDS is the staff and the friendly environment. I loved that the classes were so small and that I had more one-on-one attention with the teachers, which is why I chose to attend a relatively small University.
Share some of your successes / accomplishments since EDS? Since graduating EDS I have won a few awards; 2019 and 2017 Miss America Community Service Award winner; 2016 Booz Allen Hamilton Innovation Award winner through Operation Homefront’s Military Child of the Year; Raised over $30,000 for Military Child Access Assistance and Development Program; Distributed over 12,000 care packages to soldiers; Collected over 600 blankets and 700 pairs of socks for homeless Veterans and toys for military children; Military Missions In Action “Making A Difference” award; Selected as ABC Channel 11 “Armed Forces Salute of the Week”; Volunteered over 2500 hours; Recipient of the Gold and Bronze President’s Volunteer Service Award and Duke of Edinburg Bronze Award; Featured in Military Kids’ Life Magazine and spotlighted in Winter 2017 HPU Magazine.
Share organizations or clubs in which you have membership or support? I am currently a member of Alpha Gamma Delta; Kappa Delta Pi Education Honor’s Society; Order of Omega Leadership Honor’s Society; and Alpha Lambda Delta Honor’s Society; and High Point University’s Office of Student Life, I have served as a Resident Assistant at HPU for 3 years.
Share any advice that you have for current students or families at EDS. My Biggest piece of advice is to treasure the moments you have at EDS. Time goes by so fast, that you’ll wish you had more time in an environment as amazing as EDS. I was so fortunate to spend two years enrolled in EDS, I wish I had lived here longer so that I could’ve spent all my elementary school years attending such an incredible school.