Q&A with College of Human Sciences 2025 Fall Graduation Marshal Keaghan Elliott

Keaghan Elliott, an Auburn University graduate receiving her bachelor’s degree in apparel merchandising through the Department of Consumer and Design Sciences and a minor in business, represented the College of Human Sciences as the Graduation Marshal for the Fall 2025 commencement exercises on Saturday, Dec. 13.

Learn more about Elliott’s success during her time at Auburn and what drove her to pursue the APME major and her future plans following graduation.

What made you decide on this degree?

“I decided to pursue a degree in apparel merchandising because it brings together my love of fashion and the way it connects us not only to history but to our different cultures and business and my passion for understanding things behind the scenes. Apparel merchandising gave me the opportunity to expand on my creativity and my business acumen and bring them together in a way that I can pursue for the rest of my life.”

What did you find most appealing about the Apparel Merchandising program in the College of Human Sciences?

“While all the different colleges at Auburn are wonderful, the College of Human Sciences is unparalleled. Before being a part of the program as much as after, the faculty was always the most appealing part. You want to know that the person responsible for teaching you the information cares just as much as you do about learning it and being able to apply it and you can just tell that they do. Without the support and instruction of my professors in the College of Human Sciences, I would not be able to do all that I can, to the standard in which I can, had they not seen it in myself and my classmates first.”

What are your plans following graduation?

“I am excited to share that I am working through the preliminary steps of opening my own boutique! This next step is bringing my passions cultivated here at Auburn together in a way that I hope allows me to give back to my community. This is an opportunity I could not have imagined doing if I had not been supported and encouraged by my professors, classmates and most of all my family.”

Favorite things about Auburn

--What is your favorite spot on campus?

“My favorite place on campus has to be the arboretum. It’s been a great place to study and to just spend time with friends when everything gets crazy and I’ll miss it dearly.”

--Favorite eatery in Auburn?

“You can’t go wrong with any of Auburn’s restaurants, they are all amazing. I think my favorite staple restaurant is Amsterdam Cafe. Growing up with an Auburn family I think some of their favorites have definitely rubbed off on me. But there is no better pick-me-up or comfort food that screams ‘Auburn’ to me as much as a turkey wrap and sweet potato chips from Amsterdam!”

--Favorite Auburn memory?

“There hasn’t been a moment, big or small, that I haven’t been grateful for during my time here. A time that I revisit often would be from my freshman year. I lived in Matthews Hall on the fourth floor in a corner room, with a clear view of the stadium jumbotron, back when there was only one. A few of us didn’t have tickets to the game that Saturday so we opened my window, pulled up chairs and watched from my window. We lost the game, but we had so much fun sitting in that window.”