On Saturday, May 10, more than 500 Blue Jays will cross the stage at Elizabethtown College’s 122nd Commencement ceremony, joining a network of more than 24,000 living Etown alumni. The graduating class includes students who lived out the College’s Educate for Service mission, taking on leadership roles across campus, and leaving their mark on the Etown community.

Name: Savannah Lesley
Major: Accounting
Hometown: New Freedom, Pa.

Campus Involvement: Vice President of Accounting Club, Women in Business Club, Delta Mu Honors Society, Women’s Volleyball Team, teacher’s assistant for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistant Program (VITA), tutor, payroll administrator for the Learning Zone, Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs (PICPA) Etown Ambassador, School of Business Ambassador for Accepted Student Days and Open Houses.

Why did you choose Etown?
I chose Etown because I was looking for a school that would allow me to reach 150 credits for my CPA in four years and allow me the opportunity to play a collegiate sport. At Etown, I was able to do both of those things and still stay relatively close to home. I saw how much the professors and coaches on campus cared about academics and the well-being of their students, and that was important to me.

What do you love most about Etown?
The thing that I love most about Etown is the small community all of the students and faculty have formed. There is not a time when I am walking to class or somewhere on campus that I do not see a friendly smile! It makes the school feel so welcoming and makes it feel like everyone knows and cares for each other.

What are your plans for after graduation?
I will be studying abroad right after graduation in Ireland for three weeks on a faculty-led trip. When I return home, I will be starting a full-time position as an audit staff at Ernst & Young in Baltimore, Md.

What advice do you have for future Blue Jays?

“Seize every opportunity given to you. College will fly by in the blink of an eye, and you do not want to look back on it and regret not doing something!”

– Savannah Lesley ’25