From the president
Elke Coenders, a Centre College’s Class of 2025 member, is a student leader passionate about elevating unheard voices. Her interest in transparency, accurate information, and democratization of voices is a strong thread running through all dimensions of her overall narrative. She is active in both the campus newspaper and literary magazine, both of which she revived after years of decline. Her passion for writing and ensuring student voices are heard on campus is impressive. Additionally, she serves in the community at a local heritage site, unearthing and researching the untold stories of people enslaved by the museum’s namesake. Her supervisor there emphasizes Elke’s unusual drive for knowledge and her ability to reach out to and into the community as important attributes. Elke is an active and independent researcher and one of the most dynamic and creative student leaders on campus. She models civic responsibility and is making a deep and lasting impact on our campus community.
Personal Statement
My drive for transparency, uplifting voices, and democratizing information developed in my high school creative writing program. I found my voice by expressing it and loved seeing others do the same. I believe writing is a great equalizer – with the power to put words to paper, people can make themselves heard. Now, I want to help other voices find a platform. I led the revival of my college’s newspaper by building a team and implementing a publishing cycle. The Cento blossomed across campus to engage, inform, and represent students for the first time in a decade. I revitalized my college literary magazine to foster self-expression and a creative community. I also initiated an internship to research the McDowell House Museum’s history of slavery and designed a tour to tell the untold stories of the people whom pioneer surgeon Ephraim McDowell enslaved or operated on. At the Trade and Development Agency, I informed policy for projects between developing economies and American small businesses. With my Economics and Business major, I plan to pursue a path in competition law to protect the free and fair market for consumers, small businesses, and everyone who must fight for their voice to be heard.