Elizabeth City, NC – On the court, Alexus "Dani" Elliott has helped the Vikings Volleyball program become one of the dominate teams in the CIAA.  Last season she ranked 5^th in blocks among conference teams, while helping her team finish the season with an overall record of 27-6.  As impressive as her performance was, it is Elliott's off the court accomplishments that are starting to garner the school community's attention.   

The Senior from Goldsboro, NC always thought Elizabeth City State University felt like home.  "I loved the atmosphere and the people, and I could see myself succeeding here", said Elliott.  "As an HBCU, the school offered a unique experience. I could also see the vision that the University had, and I wanted to be a part of making it a reality. ECSU is rising".  Elliott continues to believe this and has made it a priority to share with other students the opportunities they have as a part of the Viking community.

This summer has been very busy for Dani.  At the beginning of June, she was involved in the VESTEMic Sophomore Summer Bridge Program, where she worked with rising Sophomores who are ECSU STEM majors.  As a part of the program, Elliott served as a mentor to the rising Sophomores, helping them utilize tools which can assist in their success on campus.  In addition, she is also about to begin another position as a mentor in the ECSU CASER Program on July 18^th.  This program is designed to prepare incoming Natural Science majors for their college journey in hopes of improving retention in the Natural Sciences program.  "Many students change majors or even drop out after one year of Biology or Chemistry", said Elliott.  "I personally owe a lot to the CASER program, as it helped prepare me for college".

While her mentorships have kept her busy this summer, she has spent a lot of her time over the past in month in the Jenkins Science Building participating in research under the guidance of ECSU biology professor, Dr. Jade LaDow.  The two have been screening soil for antibiotic producing microbes.  To some this may sound complicated, but to Dani it is just another day in the lab.  Since June, they have collected soil samples from the Elizabeth City waterfront and a pond on campus.  The purpose of this collection of soil is to dilute it, which will bring out the bacteria and have it grow.  This will help them determine which bacteria has antibiotic resistance and, they hope to discover what species the bacteria come from.   Elliott explains there is a lot of trial and error involved but they have had great success so far in their research.

Dani believes the experience she is gaining will help prepare her for her next journey after she graduates from ECSU.  She will receive her Bachelor's Degree in Biology with a concentration in Pre-Dentistry, a semester early in December 2022.  Elliott plans to enroll in dental school with the ultimate goal of becoming an Orthodontist.  However, in the meantime, she will continue her research and prepare for her Senior season with her teammates, as they get ready for a run at a CIAA Conference title.