C2i Alumni - Director of Communications

Carson Crochet graduated from Davidson College in 2022 with a double major in German Studies and Arab Studies. At C2i, Carson served as the Deputy Communications Director and Team Leader. After graduating, she moved to Chicago to pursue her startup business CA’Buddy, aka Cancer Buddy, and works as an administrative director and program manager for a local nonprofit, Youth for a Better Future. Outside of being an entrepreneur and working with Chicago’s youth, Carson enjoys painting and birdwatching by the lake.

Chloe deBeus is the Director of Technology and assists the online side of the College Crisis Initiative. She is a senior Sociology major who is graduating early from Davidson College in December 2020. Chloe is essential to the upkeep of C2i’s website and other technological work of C2i. When not coding, Chloe is involved as a student representative on the Educational Policy Committee at Davidson College and is interested in how COVID-19 is exacerbating racial disparities and social mobility across Higher Education institutions. Specifically, she is identifying how Charlotte is responding to their low metropolitan social mobility rating. C2i is lucky to have had her on the team right before graduating to her next chapter of life.

Ellena (Ellie) Pennybacker is the External Communications Officer for the College Crisis Initiative at Davidson College. Ellie is a senior Anthropology major who will begin her Master’s in Public Administration at the University of Georgia’s School of Public and International Affairs in the fall. Ellie works on tracking C2i media mentions and gathering data for the C2i communications team while serving as a general media relations specialist. One of her favorite interviews was on 740 KTRH Austin’s morning show following a story on UT Austin’s “triggers to closure” plan. Outside of live interviews and academic endeavors, Ellie volunteers with many organizations including Charlotte Refugee Support, Habitat for Humanity of Huntersville, and served as a student ambassador for Social Venture Partners’ Seed 20 pitch competition. While helping many non-profits, she additionally manages the budget process for over 60 student organizations as the Activity Tax Council chair at Davidson College.

Madeline was the Director of Communications for the College Crisis Initiative at Davidson College and graduated in the class of 2022. She is majored in Political Science and built an unofficial concentration in Policy Studies and Educational Studies. While on the C2i team, Madeline co-authored the paper “Tracking Campus Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic” with fellow C2i colleagues. At Davidson, Madeline was the President of Davidson College Democrats, the Vice-President of Davidson College’s Center for Political Engagement, and an intern for the nonpartisan nonprofit organization “Rock the Vote.” Additionally, she frequently volunteered at Davidson’s Office of Admissions, Lula Bell’s Resource Center, and Precinct 206 Democrats. She was a Fellow with the Deliberative Citizenship Initiative and was selected as one of two William Holt Terry Fellows for the Class of 2022. According to Madeline, she enjoys running half marathons almost as much as she enjoys running C2i’s communication team.

Madeline currently serves as a Strategy Associate at the Penta Group in D.C.