78 Photo Essay: Ivey-Elise Ivey

University of St. Andrews student

Words by Suzie Walton | Image by Blakeney Clouse

When Ivey-Elise Ivey was researching her post-secondary options, she wanted a university that would challenge her academically and push her out of her comfort zone. She was unaware she would follow in the footsteps of royalty. 

Two years before graduating from Jasper High School in 2020, Ivey-Elise mapped out a path to success, tackling dual enrollment courses, researching and touring universities around the nation, and applying to every university her research revealed as a connection. 

At the outbreak of the COVID pandemic, Ivey-Elise’s college plans were set. “I’d been accepted and planned to attend the University of Mississippi,” she laughs, sitting at a large oak desk in her dad’s law office. “All that changed a couple of weeks before graduation with an official acceptance email.”

In 2017, Ivey-Elise went on a mission trip with First United Methodist Church. It was her first trip outside the country, and had a tremendous impact on her educational goals.

“My uncle attended St. Andrews, and on a fluke, my dad suggested I apply,” Ivey-Elise explains. “Even though I’m very self-motivated, it was still scary to think about a 24-hour flight without my family to begin college in a foreign country.”  

In August 2020, instead of sauntering under the oaks and hardwoods of Ole Miss, Ivey-Elise was stepping off a plane in Scotland, arriving early to endure a 14-day quarantine before her first day of classes. The school’s shuttle then whisked her to the lush grounds of St. Andrews, a seaside town on the coast of Fife. “I was excited because the air was really crisp and chilly,” Ivey-Elise recalls. “I couldn’t believe how green everything is there, and I fell in love with the cobblestone streets and old buildings.”

Within the year, Ivey-Elise, who won Miss Teen Alabama in 2018 with the service platform “Empowerment Through Education,” had joined the campus organization founded by Prince William’s wife, Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge. 

“The Lumsden Club is an all-women’s club that focuses on donating time and fund-raising for women’s charities. Kate was in the founding class,” Ivey-Elise says, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “This club gives me a way to pour into different charities, bond with other strong young women, and feel involved.” 

As a social anthropology major with a minor in Spanish and psychology, Ivey-Elise is ready to return to Scotland once travel restrictions are lifted. “I’m ready for on-campus experiences and in-person classes where you build relationships,” she says. “I’m also really excited for our upcoming mentoring program, She Scotland, and a return to traditional normalcy.” 78