Alumni Spotlight on Elizabeth (Kelley) Fox-Helser
What have you been up to since you left Pinecrest?
After Pinecrest, I started college at Wake Forest University. I took a lot of different classes my freshman year, but art classes were my favorite. I decided I wanted to major in art, but liked how practical graphic design was, in contrast to more expressive fine arts. Wake Forest didn't have a program that suited my interests, so I transferred to Furman University in Greenville, SC. I made a lot of great friends at Wake, including my husband Nathan, so this short stint wasn't for nothing! At Furman, I double majored in Philosophy and Studio Art and interned during the summers at Brains on Fire, a local marketing company. After college, I went to grad school at Portfolio Center in Atlanta, an intensive, 2-year graduate program for communication studies. There I was able to hone my design skills and work with other creatives (writers, photographers, etc.), and also had the opportunity to intern at Atlanta design firm, Armchair Media. After graduating from Portfolio Center, I moved to New York City for an internship with Carbone Smolan Agency (CSA). My internship turned into a full-time job after a few months, and I worked at CSA for 2.5 years, working on projects for clients big and small, all over the world, while learning from a very talented bunch of colleagues. Living in New York City was a great experience! While living there, I got married, made many new friends and reconnected with old ones, and had the amazing experience of living in one of the busiest and most exciting cities in the world.
As fun as it was, after a few years, I was ready for a change - both in job and location. In March of 2016, I started working for Principle, a design firm in Houston, Texas, where I'm able to do a lot of work on printed pieces, as well as design websites for a very diverse group of clients - everything from restaurants to city parks to non-profits. So far, so good!
How did your years at Pinecrest influence your career path?
I think very analytically and enjoy systematically breaking problems down. Language arts classes were always my favorite, since I was able to do that with different texts. These classes helped develop my problem solving and design thinking skills, even though I didn't realize it at the time. On the creative side, I dropped art as an elective at least three times in high school.
One semester, I wasn't able to change my elective and I ended up in Miss Batley’s art class. I liked it so much, I took art again the following semester, and eventually AP art. I don't think I would have majored in art in college without the experience of those classes.
One semester, I wasn't able to change my elective and I ended up in Miss Batley’s art class. I liked it so much, I took art again the following semester, and eventually AP art. I don't think I would have majored in art in college without the experience of those classes.
Was there a teacher at PA who really influenced you?
Although he doesn't teach at Pinecrest any more, Dr. Mulholland was my favorite language arts teacher. He introduced me to some of my favorite authors and challenged me to read texts closely and carefully to see what was really going on. He also sparked my interest in Philosophy, which plays into graphic design more than most would think!
How did Pinecrest prepare you for college and beyond?
Pinecrest taught me the value of balance! I'm naturally an overachiever, which can be helpful, but can also make you a workaholic or just...boring. Pinecrest’s emphasis on forming the whole person is something that stuck with me in college and after as I negotiated the balance between all different aspects of life.
What ways have you found to live out your faith in your career?
I've really enjoyed having conversations with colleagues about faith, both our similarities and differences. There are so many rich faith traditions in the world and so much to be learned from listening to each other’s perspective.
What is your favorite memory of Pinecrest?
I attended Pinecrest from PreK to 12th grade, so it's hard to narrow down! One of many great memories is having cake for the Blessed Mother’s birthday in the VERY early days (when one big sheet cake would feed the whole school!).
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Spending time with my husband and our new puppy, Maisie, traveling to see family and friends, reading a good book, and cooking a big meal.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Hopefully still doing what I love, surrounded by people I love! I couldn't have guessed what I’d be doing now, five years ago, so I'll stick to the big picture for the next five!
What advice would you give a PA high school student?
There are a million different ways to get where you want to go - different schools, jobs, places… Just pick one, trust your gut, and do the best you can along the way! 
