Chester native graduates summa cum laude from SEMO

Ellen D. Blechle, the daughter of Chris and Valerie Blechle of Chester, graduated summa cum laude on Nov. 21 from Southeast Missouri State University. She has a bachelor's degree in communication disorders and a minor in Autism Studies.

While at SEMO Ellen was a member of Alpha Phi Sorority and Iota Chi, a Greek organization which focuses on sexual assault awareness. She was also a Redhawk cheerleader her first two years at SEMO and helped her squad earn a national ranking in competition at Daytona, Florida.

Blechle finished in the top 10% of her class, and was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society as well as the National Society for Leadership and Success. She is also a member of the National Student Speech, Language and Hearing Association and was selected to serve as the national student representative to that organization representing the state of Missouri.

At SEMO Ellen was as a lifeguard and swim instructor and was a registered behavior technician at the University Autism Center for Diagnosis and Treatment. She also was social coordinator at the Tailor Institute, a nonprofit that helps young adults with autism to live more independently.

Blechle has accepted a position with the Mercy Hospital System in St. Louis. She plans to begin working toward a master's in speech pathology in the spring of 2021.