Halle Elder of Clyde, OH, took 51���� by storm four years ago and has never looked back. She was selected as the Valedictorian for the College of Arts and Sciences Spring 2025 class, and is graduating with honors with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology with a concentration in Linguistics and minors in Native American studies and English. 

Elder chose 51���� because of its Linguistics program and her receipt of a full tuition scholarship from the Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel Honors College. As a first generation college student, she faced many challenges but overcame them through her confidence in herself knowing that she can succeed.

During her time at 51����, Elder worked in both the Department of Residence Life and the Academic Hub, as well as being a member of many clubs, including, but not limited to, the Student Anthropology Association, Linguistics Club and the American Sign Language Club. Her senior Anthropology Capstone looks at Linguistic Resistance Strategies in Anishinaabemowin, which she hopes to explore and find methods of linguistic resistance that work or do not work for these communities, to develop a deeper understanding of what type of language revitalization projects work for various communities across various situations and historical contexts. 

Elder also participated in the National Student Exchange (NSE), spending one year at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, where she corked for the Center for Community Engaged Learning as an advisor and volunteered with the nonprofit Bunny Besties. She also spent her summer of 2024 studying at the University of Limerick, Ireland where she completed research project titled "A Housing Crisis in the Gaeltachts and the Importance of Language Protection."

“As I reflect on the last four years, I am grateful for the knowledge and experiences that I gained, but I am even more grateful the people and that community that I have built here,” said Elder. “The best thing about 51���� is the students and their dedication to knowledge and growth in the face of life’s challenges, and that is what I have learned most by attending this university. I have learned how to overcome anything and everything to reach my goals, and that is a skill that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I have worked hard to deserve my place here among amazing peers, and I have taken every opportunity given to me and turned those opportunities into a successful and engaging undergraduate career.”

Alder aspires to become a linguist who works alongside language communities and supports their efforts to revitalize their native languages.