Hi everyone! My nam
e is Dylan Rose Elledge, and I’m honored to be sharing my JIFFI story.
Tell us a little about yourself.
I am a senior at the University of Notre Dame double majoring in Spanish and Marketing.
Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, embracing the weather of Northern Indiana was a tough
challenge to face, but I’m happy that over the past four years, Notre Dame has become home for
me. I’ve been involved in the Student International Business Council, intramural tennis, Lyons
Hall staff, study abroad, and am currently a student manager at Au Bon Pain.
If you had to pick a superpower, what would it be and why?
I love traveling – I recently spent six months studying in Santiago, Chile, and traveling
around South America – and if I had any superpower, it would be teleportation.
Why did you join JIFFI, and what roles have you taken on?
I joined JIFFI in 2020 as a sophomore associate in the Marketing Division. I would be
lying if I said that the social media hiring campaign didn’t have an influence over my decision to
apply, but I felt a connection with the organization as soon as I understood its mission. Because
COVID sent everything virtual that first year, a lot of my division’s work was focused on how
we could attract clients and spread the word without being able to have in-person events or
contact with potential clients. Despite this hurdle and mainly working from behind a computer
screen, I recognized the importance of JIFFI’s mission and work in the community which led me
to stay with the organization. Following this, I spent a semester in the role of Marketing VP and
currently serve as the Chief Marketing Officer for the 2022-2023 school year.
What Impact have you made so far in your time as a member of JIFFI?
Throughout my three years at JIFFI, some things that I have been involved in include
creating JIFFI’s year-end annual report, researching facts about payday lending to share on social
media, assisting in fundraisers, and creating flyers for the marketing blitzes. However, the most
valuable part of my time with JIFFI has been from two distinct instances this year. In the fall,
after participating in a marketing blitz in which members of JIFFI drove around South Bend to
advertise our services, we received an influx of calls from potential new clients who had seen our
ads and were interested in a loan. The pride and happiness that this brought me, knowing that our
work truly ended up making a difference, reminds me why JIFFI is so important. This was also
reinforced for me when I conducted calls with former clients this winter in order to ask for
feedback on how we, as an organization, could improve. Talking with these individuals and
hearing them express their gratitude for JIFFI, our process, and the fact that our associates are
willing to take chances on people who need a chance has struck me deeply. Sometimes, it’s hard
to see the impact that you’re making on a person’s life, but I’ve learned that no impact is too
small to be life-changing.
Thank you JIFFI for three amazing years, for giving me the chance to give back to a
community that has given me so much throughout my college experience, and for teaching me
about how to use my education and talents to help others.