Carrie Ellis balances engineering, college athletics
Senior midfielder Carrie Ellis was one of two URI students to win the Tim J. O’Leary Scholarship this year. PHOTO CREDIT: gorhody.com
As a senior on the University of Rhode Island Women’s Soccer team, Carrie Ellis has gained recognition over the years for her play on the field. But this summer, it was her off-field work that helped land her an even greater achievement.
On June 10, the University announced that Ellis, along with fellow classmate and engineering student Logan Beattie, were both awarded Tim J. O’Leary Scholarships from the New England Chapter of the American Public Works Association. Each scholarship is worth $2,500.
According to the scholarship application notice, this award seeks to “promote and improve the Public Works Profession by providing financial assistance to students committed to, and seeking a degree in, a Public Works or related field of study.”
A major in Civil Engineering, Ellis said it can be a challenge at times to balance her academic work with her athletic responsibilities. Despite this, she pushed herself to be towards the top of her class academically.
“Being a student athlete in engineering, I always feel like I’m at a slight disadvantage,” she said. “I don’t have the same amount of time that everyone else has.”
Ellis added that sharing the award with Beattie, who she describes as “a good friend,” made the moment even more special.
Along with engineering, Ellis is also pursuing a degree in Spanish as a part of the University’s International Engineering Program. On top of that, she is minoring in both environmental engineering and mathematics.
Even with the heavy workload, Ellis said that doing what she loves makes the workload a lot less daunting.
“I think it’s whatever you put in, you get out,” she said. “In the end, I love playing soccer and I love what I’m doing academically, so it’s easy to manage if you love what you’re doing.”
On the field, Ellis is an important piece of the puzzle for Head Coach Megan Jessee’s squad as they look to reach the Atlantic 10 tournament for the second consecutive season. According to Jessee, the senior midfielder has been a model of consistency and a steady leader in her time with the Rams.
“She’s one of those players you can always count on, you know what you’re gonna get day in and day out,” she said. “As a coach, you love that. Definitely last year at times, before she got hurt, she was probably our best player.”
Ellis had missed the first six games this season due to an injury, but returned to the lineup on Sept. 8. While the recovery process and being unable to take the field threw a wrench into her routine, she said the end result made the wait more than worth it.
“Now that I’m back playing, it just lightens the load,” Ellis said. “It makes me happier, it makes it easier, so it was worth it in the end.”
Looking to the future, Ellis plans to pursue a master’s degree in humanitarian engineering with an international focus. Specifically, she hopes to eventually travel abroad to help give clearwater access to underserved communities around the world.
Soccer-wise, she hopes to continue her collegiate career as a graduate student, which was made possible due to the NCAA granting student-athletes who were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic an extra year of eligibility.
Even with all of the different responsibilities she balances on a daily basis, Ellis encourages others to think big and go for their goals, no matter how ambitious.
“To a freshman or younger player, just make big goals,” she said. “If you put your heart to it, you can absolutely finish it off.”