All in the Family | Siblings to share graduation date at FSU
Each has earned a master’s degree as third-generation Seminoles
Two siblings will graduate from Florida State University with master’s degrees on July 31, a milestone they are excited to share.
Christy Ellis said she and her husband Chris are very proud of their children.
“They are third-generation Seminoles. Chris’s parents graduated from FSU — that’s where they met and fell in love — and Chris is an FSU alumni, too,” she said. “MaryJo and Jake have always cheered garnet and gold, so their decisions to attend FSU wasn’t a surprise.”
MaryJo graduated from Ida S. Baker High School and is a 2023 graduate of Florida Gulf Coast University. She is graduating from FSU with a master’s degree in Athletic Coaching.
Jake is a 2022 graduate of Ida S. Baker High School and a 2025 graduate of Florida State University. He is graduating from FSU with a master’s degree in Criminology.
MaryJo graduates at 2 p.m. on July 31, and Jake graduates at 7 p.m. the same day.
“We’d like to give a shout out to their fabulous teachers over the years — both kids went to Gulf Elementary and Middle schools as well as Ida Baker High School. They had so many wonderful teachers who became mentors and are now friends,” Christy said.
Jake said it’s really special to graduate on the same day as his sister from FSU.
“My sister has always been a couple of grades ahead of me, so it’s exciting that we finally get to walk across the same stage together,” he said. “My dad and both of my grandparents also graduated from Florida State, so it’s meaningful to add two more FSU graduates to our family’s tradition.”
MaryJo agreed that graduating on the same day as her brother means everything to her.
“Jake and I have always been a few years apart in school, so being on the same timeline for our master’s degrees has been really cool,” she said. “Graduating on the same day from the same university makes this milestone even more special. Jake has always been one of my biggest supporters and inspirations, and I’m so proud of everything that he has accomplished. It makes this accomplishment even more meaningful that we will be continuing our family’s FSU tradition and following a similar path of our grandparents and father.”
Although Jake did not know what he wanted to study when he started at FSU, he found criminology through exploratory classes and really enjoyed it.
“Law enforcement has always been familiar to me because several members of my family are retired police officers. I enjoyed the program so much that I decided to stay and earn my master’s degree in criminology as well,” he said.
Christy retired after more than 27 years as a detective with the Cape Coral Police Department, and her husband Chris retired after 25 years as a Cape Coral Police Department captain. Christy’s dad retired as a detective sergeant after 20 years of service at Suffolk County Police Department in New York, and Christy’s brother retired after 25 years for the Fort Myers Police Department.
Jake currently works as a legal intern with a law firm in Tallahassee, where he helps organize case files, prepare documents, assist attorneys with trial preparation, and communicate with clients.
“It’s given me valuable experience in a professional legal environment,” he said.
The hope after graduation is to begin his career in law enforcement and use what he has learned to serve and protect communities throughout Florida.
While attending FSU, Jake participated in Club Baseball at FSU, an experience that led to meeting people from all over the country who shared the same love for baseball.
“I also enjoyed traveling to other universities and exploring different college towns and cities like New Orleans and Nashville,” Jake said. “Club Baseball gave me the opportunity to continue playing competitively while still having more flexibility than an NCAA program.”
Jake said he is grateful for the opportunities he has had at Florida State, as well as the support of his family, professors, coaches, and mentors.
“Graduating alongside my sister makes this milestone even more memorable, and I’m excited for what comes next,” he said.
MaryJo said she pursued her master’s degree in athletic coaching because tennis has always been her first love, and she has worked really hard to become the best coach she could be.
“My own coaches had a huge impact on who and how I am today, and I wanted to continue my education and training, so that I can have the same positive influence on the next generation of athletes,” she said. “When I learned that Jake had applied to his master’s program, I found that FSU offered the master’s of Athletic Coaching program online and it could be completed in a year. The opportunity for us to complete our degree programs and graduate together had a huge impact on when and why I applied to this program.”
She began coaching at The Courts in August 2024 when it opened. MaryJo has been leading the junior tennis program since it opened where she organizes clinics, camps, and tournaments. At the start of this summer’s camp season, she was introduced as the director of junior tennis.
“My favorite thing about coaching is watching the kids grow both on and off the court. I love helping our athletes develop their skills and build confidence and discover a love for tennis, but I especially love building relationships with our athletes and their families and watching the kids become respectful, hardworking humans,” MaryJo said.
She began her coaching career as an assistant tennis pro at the Cape Coral Yacht Club in 2020.
“I continued coaching through the City of Cape Coral and my own training business after Hurricane Ian,” MaryJo said. “Coaching has been a huge part of my life for several years, and I’m grateful to continue doing what I love.”
MaryJo also followed in her family’s footsteps, as her paternal grandparents, aunt and cousin are all current, or retired teachers.
In addition to coaching, MaryJo is also a fifth-grade English Language Arts and social studies teacher at Gulf Elementary School. She began teaching there in the fall of 2023 after graduating from Florida Gulf Coast University with her bachelor’s degree in elementary education that spring.
She said she is proud of everything she has accomplished during the program, especially while balancing teaching and coaching full time.
“I am incredibly appreciative of the opportunities I’ve had through the FSU COACH program and the support of my family, my team at The Courts, my administrators and staff at Gulf Elementary, my professors at Florida State, and the many mentors who have encouraged me along the way. I’m grateful for everyone who has helped make this milestone possible, and I’m excited to see what comes next,” MaryJo said.
To reach MEGHAN BRADBURY , please email news@breezenewspapers.com