Shanna studied A Levels at The Henley College and is now Senior Coordinator of Operations for a men’s professional soccer league in America.
We caught up with Shanna to find out more about her time at Henley and how she got to where she is now.
“I’m Shanna Ellis, originally from Reading in the UK but now working in New York City as a Senior Coordinator of Operations at Major League Soccer, which represents the sport’s highest level in the United States.
I studied for my A-Levels at The Henley College 2015 – 2017, before moving on to study for my BA in International Football Business at the University Campus of Football Business (UCFB). At Henley, I studied Business Studies, English Language and Literature, Philosophy and Classical Civilization – enjoying each of the subjects absolutely and feeling no regret to this day about the options I chose.
I loved The Henley College! Making the decision to move from the comfort of my secondary school was a big decision but it was the right decision for me.
I chose the college because of the course range it offered and when I was applying I wanted to choose subjects I loved, not just the obvious career choices. Having the opportunity to study Classics was amazing and something I had never touched on in any area of my education prior.
I made some truly wonderful friends at the college, a few of whom I keep in regular contact with to this day. The staff who were so supportive and continue to check-in with me occasionally to see how I am getting on.
I feel like I had the opportunity to build up some incredibly strong relationships with kind, intelligent and all-around nice people, and a personal highlight of my time at Henley was the trip to Sicily at the end of my first year. The trip was so well thought out and organized, it really was such a special week.
I always wanted to work in sports business for some of the largest football organizations in the world and I chose my university with that goal in mind. The staff at Henley knew working in sports business was my aim and I never once heard the phrase ‘be more realistic’ or ‘choose something safer’ from them as they really believed in me.
Life becomes so much harder when you’re trying to motivate yourself to do something you don’t enjoy. I believe studying Classics and having the opportunity to learn about ancient art and literature enriched me as a human being, and my English A Level helps me every day at work when I’m drafting manuals, emails, and proof-reading contracts. Sport is a business and elements such as budgeting are crucial to the workplace, so my Business A Level helped me understand the commercial landscape.
Spending two years at The Henley College allowed me to meet some of my closest friends and I will always be grateful to have them in my life. I studied under the guidance of knowledgeable teachers who loved their subjects and cared deeply about the students who were willing to work hard and give their best.
My ambitions for the future are to see the growth and development of American Soccer. I’ve moved away from the English football market for now and I can’t wait to see Major League Soccer establish itself on the global stage.
My advice to students deciding on what to do when they finish school is to work hard, trust yourself, and be patient. If you make your living doing something you love, you will truly never work a day in your life.”
