• Carly Ellefsen, Associate Designer

    "Luther provided me breadth, depth, and interdisciplinary connections to critically engage with the world. I didn't want to go to school to get a job. I wanted to go to school for an education.​"

Carly Ellefsen '15

Growing through the Liberal Arts

Carly chose to attend Luther because she was looking for a college where she could make connections between different majors. At Luther, she majored in art and communication studies. “One of the most fascinating things about my Luther education was making interdisciplinary connections between my communications classes and art classes,” she says. “Everything is related.”

Carly also loved the relationships she developed with Luther professors. “Now that I'm post-grad, I relish every conversation I had with professors. Professors are the absolute greatest resources at Luther.”

Artistic Growth through Studying Away

While at Luther, Carly studied in Italy and Chicago. In Italy, she studied early-to-late-Italian Renaissance masterworks. “There is no comparable feeling to seeing a piece of artwork in real life that you've only read about in books,” she says, adding, “Luther makes it affordable and supports students studying abroad.”

Carly also studied in Chicago for a semester during her junior year through Associated Colleges of the Midwest’s Chicago Program. She worked and lived in Chicago with students from across the country. “I was provided a graphic design internship as part of the program, which gave me experience I needed for my career,” she says.

Tapping Into Luther’s Alumni Network

Carly spent the summer after graduation working as a studio manager at ArtHaus in Decorah and as a barista at Magpie Coffeehouse. Then she moved to the Twin Cities and tapped into Luther’s alumni network to secure her current position. Carly is an associate designer at Design Center Inc., where she creates digital design for mobile applications used in business. She is grateful for the community of alumni she has found post-graduation; it’s one of Luther’s special strengths, she says.

Luther provided me breadth, depth, and interdisciplinary connections to critically engage with the world. I didn't want to go to school to get a job. I wanted to go to school for an education.​

-Carly Ellefsen '15

Co-Curriculars