By Lauren H. Shoffner, staff
September 12, 2025
High school sweethearts, Rachel and David Campbell ’13, credit Elon’s scholarships and hands-on experiences with shaping their lives. Now, through the Catanese and Gardner Families Internship Endowment, they’re helping current students overcome financial barriers to pursue life-changing internships.
For Rachel Campbell ’13 and David Campbell ’13, Elon isn’t just their alma mater — it’s the place where their personal and professional journeys took shape. The high school sweethearts from small-town Delaware both chose to attend Elon after receiving Presidential Scholarships.
“Scholarships and financial aid were critical to both of us being able to attend any college, let alone Elon,” Rachel said. “We don’t take for granted the support that we both received to make those four years possible.”
As a student, Rachel majored in journalism and minored in theater, creative writing and international studies, becoming involved with student media and as a fellow with the Pulitzer Center. David pursued a double major in finance and accounting with a minor in economics as part of the Business Fellows program. He was also very involved with the Elon Microfinance Initiative, Beta Alpha Psi and as a founding member of Zeta Beta Tau.
Both alumni took advantage of Elon Experiences, studying abroad in Israel for Rachel and Denmark for David, and participating in career-shaping internships. Rachel interned for “60 Minutes” and the “Cape Cod Times,” while David found hands-on learning with Merrill Lynch, Ferrel Capital Management and Ernst & Young (EY). The couple also served as campus tour guides and were active members of Hillel.
In the spring of their senior year, they got engaged in Whitley Auditorium — a moment that will forever be a part of their shared Elon story.
Following graduation, the two settled in Charlotte, where they began their careers and married life together. Rachel started in the communications field, first as a reporter at a small newspaper, then working in development and marketing at a non-profit organization. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, she pivoted and now works as a labor doula, childbirth educator and infant feeding counselor. David received a full-time offer with EY following his internship and became a licensed CPA working for the company ever since. He currently works as a Senior Manager in the Tax Technology & Transformation group with a focus on sustainability.
“We moved to Charlotte after graduation because we both had job offers in the area, but we really thought it would be a temporary home for us. Twelve years, two houses, a dog and three kids later, and I’d say it’s pretty permanent,” Rachel said.
While building their family and careers, Rachel and David are still closely connected to Elon, serving on the board for the Charlotte alumni chapter and the Young Alumni Council. They have been involved with the Jewish Life Advisory Council and David serves on the Board of Advisors for the Love School of Business. He is also very active in recruiting Elon students for EY. In recognition of his service and leadership, David was named one of Elon’s “Top 10 Under 10” alumni in 2023.
Giving back to Elon has become a shared value for the Campbells — and a lesson that they are teaching their children. As donors, they often support Jewish life on campus and they contributed to the capital campaign for the Inn at Elon. And, what started out as a joke has now become an annual Elon Day tradition with their dog Pluto, giving to his favorite designation, Club Tennis.
Rachel is also very involved with one of Elon’s newer initiatives, Women of Elon (WE).
“What most drew me to involvement with this initiative was really feeling inspired by Dr. Book as a leader of the university, as well as the incredible female staff within the Offices of Advancement and Alumni Engagement. Initiatives like WE connect women to each other, empower them to become meaningfully involved and hopefully create inspiration and a pipeline for leadership in all areas of volunteer and civic engagement,” Rachel explained.
This summer, the Campbells established the Catanese and Gardner Families Internship Endowment to help students afford short-term housing and living expenses during internships. The Catanese and Gardner families helped the Campbells when they needed housing during their internship opportunities.
“For both of David’s out-of-state internships, he almost had to decline because of housing challenges,” said Rachel. “But family friends stepped up two summers in a row and offered him a bedroom in their home so he could participate. The generosity of the Gardner and Catanese families shaped the course of his life, and in turn, our family’s path.”
“We’ve really tried to pay that forward to other Elon students,” says David. “Earlier in our post-grad lives, we were able to house an Elon intern one summer. Now we’re excited to ramp up our support.”
When asked what motivates them to stay involved and give back, the couple says it’s their gratitude and desire to create opportunities for others.
“Elon students are so talented and we know first-hand how the right breakthrough at the right time can change everything,” David said. “We want to help make sure students can always say ‘yes’ to those opportunities.”
From small-town Delaware to a life built around community, purpose and generosity, Rachel and David are proud to be two of Elon’s biggest champions — paying forward the support that helped them thrive.
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High school sweethearts, Rachel and David Campbell ’13, credit Elon’s scholarships and hands-on experiences with shaping their lives. Now, through the Catanese and Gardner Families Internship Endowment, they’re helping current students overcome financial barriers to pursue life-changing internships.
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