Ellen Priestly

**Ellen Priestly** is the mother of Noah Priestly and the wife of Mike Priestly.

Ellen Schneider was born and raised in Wilmington, Delaware. Her family ran a successful bed-and-breakfast on the Brandywine Creek. She remembers dearly all the countless fascinating patrons. Her parents put her to work early, from sweeping to dishes to reception. Ellen simply found the tasks menial and the business boring. But her affection for her family and sense of obligation pushed her through to join her two older brothers, John and Luke, and younger sister, Claire, in helping run the family business. Ellen focused on the people she met as a relief from boredom. She drew out all their wisdom in a subtle and graceful manner. Her newly-found power of manipulation was used for good, a solid eighty percent of the time. In school, she performed quite well and was not unpopular. The environment was stimulating intellectually and socially, but was merely a step on a larger path she planned for herself. Ellen would try to write. The collective stories of the people she knew weaved together in her subconscious, driving daydreams and, eventually, creative impulses. A collection of short stories seemed right, a set of vignettes about, naturally, everyday people. In a special feature, the stories were published serially in a well-respected regional literary magazine. Ellen was soon accepted to Villanova and earned both her B.A. and M.A. in Communications. Her perception of the writer as an outsider never appealed to her. For her, writing had to blossom from visceral and involved human exchange. The community she sought turned out to be Villanova itself. After filling roles in Public Relations, Media Production, and Advancement, Ellen is now Director of Undergraduate Admissions, one step below Executive Director. Her job instills a sense of purpose and belonging. She still writes, but she has concluded that she is not a *writer*, only that she merely *writes*.

Mike and Ellen were twenty-eight when they met. A local country club was hosting a fundraiser for the emergency services of Delaware County. Mike was one of the firefighting representatives, and Ellen was representing Villanova as a benefactor. Things moved quickly. A year later a ring was bought, and not even a year later, Noah was born. The thirty-year-olds were primed to raise a child in their new home, both having stable career paths. Their personalities complement each other interestingly. Mike was stubborn, Ellen was persuasive, even manipulative (for the good) when necessary. Although Mike was not one to seek out literature or art, he appreciated Ellen’s highly refined ability of expression, something he felt he lacked. But writing was not the center of Ellen’s life. Being of service to her family and community, *people*, was what mattered most. Ellen loved Mike’s confidence and common sense, and Mike loved her wavy hair and her genuine listening. The family was happy. But no family was immune to the usual resentments and missteps. Ellen was barely aware that she liked being smarter than Mike. And Mike would sometimes try to leverage Ellen’s helpful nature against her, but she usually recognized the attempts and manipulated him while he thought he was manipulating her. Again, for the good.