EARLY GOALS 

Growing up in nearby Hollidaysburg, Pa., the daughter of high school band director Scott Sheehan ’12 MMus A&A, Ellie Sheehan attended her first Penn State football game when she was 8 years old and remembers being spellbound by the Blue Band’s pregame show. Watching the drum major flip in particular left a lasting impression. “I was like, That’s my goal. That’s what I want to do,” she says. “The Blue Band was why I came to Penn State.” She joined the band as a freshman in 2021 and became the piccolo section guide; last spring, she finally landed her dream job, becoming the first female drum major in the band’s 125-year history.

SOLID FOOTING      

To prepare for the responsibilities of drum major—especially the flip—Sheehan joined the club gymnastics team last winter and relied on more than a decade of experience as a competitive dancer.  

ALUM ADVICE         

Sheehan sought out former drum majors for tips on how to thrive in the role, two of which proved particularly valuable. One: Trust your training. Two: Trust in yourself. “I know myself the most,” she says, “and I have the answers to do this exactly how I want to, and be myself the whole time.”

PRIME OPPORTUNITY

Through the Penn State Prime marketing organization’s practicum course, Sheehan, a marketing major, worked with skincare company CeraVe and Assembly Global, a media agency, on a hands-on project that she says prepared her for securing an internship and a postgraduation job with Wieland Small Tube Products in Duncansville, Pa.

MODEL BEHAVIOR         

Sheehan has received support from countless Penn State fans through social media and email, including many messages from young girls or their parents. “I’ve gotten so many messages from people,” she says. “It has just been incredible.”