Alumni Profiles

PROFILES

The passions and professions of our alumni represent the lasting impact of our school’s mission statement. Read on to see how a handful of Ensworth alumni are using their talents to the fullest to be positive contributors to society.

Alumni Focus: ELAM MANGUM FREEMAN ’12

Founder and Principal at Ojas Partners

Tell us a little bit about your journey since graduating from Ensworth.

After Ensworth, I left Nashville for college in Los Angeles. During my sophomore year, I had the opportunity to study for the entire school year in the heart of Washington, D.C. The opportunity to live (and explore!) both coasts laid the framework and turned out to be super instrumental to what I am doing now - Urban Retail Commercial Real Estate Advisory & Brokerage.

How did Ensworth help prepare you for college and beyond?

Ensworth puts a strong emphasis on strategic thinking and interpersonal communication skills. While I have not re-read hardly any of the manuscripts and texts that we studied in high school, the analytical skills Ensworth instilled through the Harkness method has served me well through college and into my career.

What are some lessons you have learned in the past year that you will continue to use/apply moving forward?

Ensworth taught me the importance of community. High school is one of the most vulnerable times in one’s life as there are new pressures and lots of change, but the emphasis that Ensworth put on culture building and living with integrity (also the name of the house I was in!) has stuck with me to today as I am building the culture for my own company in a reputation-based business.

What advice would you give to a young alum who is interested in a career in Commercial Real Estate?

It is easy to be intimidated because there is a specific stereotype of the types of people that work in Commercial Real Estate. Don’t let the fact that you might feel like a minority in commercial real estate (or any industry for that matter) hold you back if you find the subject matter interesting. Furthermore, there are lots of different directions you can take in Commercial Real Estate, so don’t let the fact that math is not your strong suit, for instance, limit you. Most of the principles and concepts can be learned, and anyone with passion for the subject matter and a strong work ethic can have a fruitful career in the field.

Display Exploration Engineer at Apple

Tell us a little bit about your journey since graduating from Ensworth.

I graduated from Ensworth in 2009 and attended Rochester Institute of Technology in New York. It was the only school I applied to and applied as Early Decision. My undergraduate degree was in Imaging and Photographic Technology, which combined photography with computer technology. After graduation, my first job was at a small software company called Imatest in Boulder, Colorado, where I worked for three years. While there, I worked on imaging technology as well as international standards development. I was part of the PC42 group, IEEE P1858 that was published a few years ago. I was able to make wonderful connections in the industry and was eventually recruited to join Apple in 2016. The past three years, I have been on the Display Incubation Team at Apple, which is responsible for exploring and developing new technologies and features focused on displays.

How did Ensworth help prepare you for college and beyond?

Before I attended Ensworth, I was homeschooled. Ensworth helped me learn how to better connect with individuals and grow socially. Ensworth fosters learning in a way that works for a variety of students, and the Harkness tables encouraged interactive discussions rather than lectures, which is something I find especially valuable.

What are some lessons you have learned in the past year that you will continue to use/apply moving forward?

I’ve learned a few things about myself through the experiences of the past year. First, I do not like working from home. I now have a greater appreciation of the positive energy that comes from being in a work environment with other people in the sense that you can bounce ideas off one another, rely on one another, grow from one another...the list goes on. It is critical to have other perspectives available in the technology industry. Ultimately, the people I work with are amazing, and I appreciate being able to leverage the talents of those individuals.

What advice would you give to a young alum who is interested in a career in Technology?

I am currently a mentor with a program at Apple that is an Engineering Technology Camp, where we bring in high school students from across the country for one month of learning about intensive technology. The most important characteristics of an engineer are curiosity and an interest in solving problems. You need to have a go-getter instinct instead of sitting back and letting someone else figure out a solution. Having the mindset to be curious, take on the challenge, and learn how to solve problems well. Lastly, when you are job searching, don’t only apply for the jobs that you think you are qualified for, because half the time people who are hiring (especially in the technical engineering roles) don’t even know exactly what they are looking for. If you prove your worth, they will find a job for you.

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