The People in Your Neighborhood: Elyse Paxton

Anyone who knows Elyse Paxton can describe her in two words: sweet and bubbly. When asked what two things she couldn't live without, she immediately said, "Chapstick and sunshine. I'm addicted to chapstick and it would be really depressing to never have sun. Everyone needs sunshine."

A Minnesotan by marriage, Elyse moved to the Twin Cities area in 2006 after graduating from Iowa State University with a degree in speech communication. Originally from a suburb outside of Chicago called Mount Prospect, Illinois, she currently she lives in Plymouth with her husband Weston and Corgi named Max.



Almost a year ago, Elyse started working on the ASR Communications Team as a communications coordinator. She is the main communications contact for all Office of Classroom Management and One Stop student veterans communications. She is also the manager of most ASR publications, including The Ledger, News and Notes, The Record, and the Scheduling Update.

One of the major publications she has recently undertaken is the University course catalog. "I create and format the PDF version of the University catalog for all system campuses," she said.

On top of all this, Elyse also edits and approves courses and program descriptions in ECAS and PCAS.

"I love working in ASR," Elyse said. "The Communications Team is very collaborative. We don't have any projects where just one person handles everything; it often involves the whole team."

Feedback is an important aspect for any job she has. She frequently receives immediate feedback on her work. "I'm surrounded by so many smart people," she said. "It's inspiring to meet such bright, intellectual people."

Before joining ASR, Elyse worked primarily in magazine publications. Her last job was at a gardening magazine called Gardening How-To as an associate editor. Before that, she worked at an automotive magazine in St. Paul called FenderBender.

"I didn't know anything about cars," she said. "I learned a lot and my perceptions changed dramatically about the industry."

In her spare time, Elyse enjoys reading. She reads anything from historical fiction to nonfiction books about mountain climbing. "I especially like ones about climbing Mount Everest," she said. "It's just so interesting to read about how people can push themselves like that."

This year, Elyse is pushing herself by running a half marathon in June. Her other goal for the year is to learn how to cook better. "My husband does most of the cooking, but I'm trying to be better at it," she said.

Last September, Elyse got married at the University Landscape Arboretum in Chaska. She met her husband on Match.com. They went to Riviera Maya, Mexico for her honeymoon because she loves tropical locations, warm weather, and sunshine.



"If I could be anything, I'd be a famous author who works on the beach with a fruity drink in hand," she said. "That would be the life."

Elyse's Essentials

1. Elyse wanted to grow up to be a jockey.
2. She loves historical fiction. Her favorite book is A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers.
3. Her first concert was Green Day.
4. Elyse can name all of the U.S. presidents in order (Be sure to quiz her next time you see her!)
5. "Saved by the Bell" and "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air" were her favorite TV shows as a kid.



6. Elyse is scared of snakes.
7. The most adventurous thing she's ever done is white water rafting in the Grand Canyon.
8. Her favorite band is Coldplay.
9. She can't whistle.
10. She sponsors a young girl in Rwanda.