Student Spotlight: Addie Coil

Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing
Photography Provided

Addilyn “Addie” Coil started her college experience at Trine University, a private school in Angola. During the pandemic, however, she wasn’t able to be as involved as she wanted to be, so she did some online research and learned about Ivy Tech. Her first time on campus, she was welcomed with open arms and knew it was where she belonged.

“After my year at Trine, I was in a sad place mentally,” recalls Coil, who did some soul searching to reflect on what made her happy in high school. She recalled how she enjoyed being involved in student government.

“I loved having people to talk to and bounce ideas off of,” she says. “The fellowship of your peers is great, because they know what you’re going through because they’re going through it too.”

She enrolled in Ivy Tech’s Medical Assisting program and later got hired as the Campus Activities Board president. Last year she was the vice president of the Student Government Association, and this year she’ll be president.

“Ivy Tech became family to me,” she says. “That’s so important, to go to work and feel like you’re hanging out with your family all day.”

Last year Apple hired Coil to be the Apple student ambassador for the campus. This means she’ll help her fellow students understand the ins and outs of Apple, in order to utilize technology to expand their horizons.

“I get to embrace what Apple offers and share that with my peers to help make life easier when it comes to their studies, their life and their responsibilities,” Coil says. “I’ll help them be more productive and proactive.”

When she first learned that she had landed the Apple position, all of her friends and colleagues at Ivy Tech cheered for her.

“I’d never felt more supported and loved in my life,” says Coil, 21.

A huge animal lover, Coil and her boyfriend, Scott, have what she calls “an uncertified guinea pig petting zoo.” The pair also cares for rabbits, hamsters and other critters that need a second chance at life.

“I’ll stop on the side of any road – highway, interstate or backroad – if I see an animal in distress,” Coil says. “I love dogs, cats and everything in between. Well, except for spiders or snakes, although I do appreciate what they do for nature.”

After finishing her extern service at an Immediate Care in New Castle, she’ll take a test to become a medical assistant. Then, next year she will dig deeper into phlebotomy and pharmacy tech.

“I really love drawing blood,” says Coil, who will graduate from Ivy Tech in May of 2024. “I’ll go wherever I find an opportunity to help people so I can make the world a better place. My goal in life is to be happy and spread that to other people, so wherever I can land and do that, that’s where you’ll find me.”