Frails Family: A Legacy of Learning

When Elise Frails earns her accounting degree this week, she will be the third generation of Frails women to graduate from Augusta University and its legacy institutions.

Elise, granddaughter of Betty Frails (Class of 1989) and daughter of Elisabeth (Markhauser) Frails (Class of 1995), says seeing her mother and grandmother’s success and the examples they set helped influence her decision to attend Augusta University.

“Being from Augusta and because my mom and grandmother went to AU, it was a no-brainer for me to go there,” Elise explained. “Just seeing their work and their ethics – I definitely knew I wanted to go that route.”

She also said choosing Augusta University to get her accounting degree was easy.

“I chose to major in accounting here at AU for the professional growth and job security that the field provides,” Elise said. “Also, the ability to grow in your career is vital, and having that opportunity is good.”

Another opportunity Elise jumped into headfirst was joining the AU honors program. She received an email one day and thought, “Why not?” So, she applied and was accepted. While in the honors program, Elise worked closely with her favorite professor, Simon Medcalfe, PhD, Cree-Walker chair and professor of economics in the James M. Hull College of Business.

“Dr. Simon Medcalfe was my macroeconomics professor and adviser for my honors program thesis project,” Elise explained. “He taught me a lot, and I really think his passion for research will stick with me because, throughout my thesis project, he helped me to keep going by pointing out what to correct and what to do and not do.”

Medcalfe enjoyed working with Elise and commended her for her remarkable work ethic. She juggled various responsibilities, from working part-time to interning, all while managing a full course load and writing her honors thesis.

“She was passionate about her thesis topic, ‘Framing the Pathways from Police Spending to Community Outcomes,’ and this passion showed in her commitment to the project,” Medcalfe said. “It was an interesting thesis for me because it was in a different field than many I had done. So it was a wonderful journey for us both, making new discoveries together. Overall, Elise was an absolute joy to work with.”

Elise’s plans for after graduation are just as ambitious as her dedication to her studies. While many students might take a short break after college to figure out their next steps or start their job search, Elise plans to get straight to work.

“After graduation, I plan to start full-time at my current job,” Elise said. “I work for Hull Property Group, which is a property management company. I handle basically all the accounting for one of the entities within the company. So, I plan to try to move up in that career.”

Elise’s mother Elisabeth is now an invasive cardiovascular technologist and the program director of the cardiovascular technology program at Augusta Technical College, which is a combined education course with Piedmont Augusta Hospital. She studied at both the Summerville and Health Sciences campuses while earning her bachelor’s degree in radiology. Academically, it was a good balance of education, information and college life.

Elisabeth said that at then-Augusta State University and the Medical College of Georgia, she learned everything she needed to succeed in her medical career, where she has been a cardiovascular technologist for over 30 years.

“I made some very good friends,” she said. “Even with some of the professors that I had back when I was at the Health Sciences Campus, I still see them periodically and still speak to them. AU always felt like a welcoming and inclusive environment and always has been.”

Elisabeth encouraged her daughter to follow in her footsteps, and she’s very proud to be a legacy parent and see Elise experience all that AU provides.

Even decades apart, Elise’s grandmother, Betty, finds the shared experience of going to the same college and walking the same campus meaningful.

“We were very supportive of Elise’s decision to attend AU, and we’re so proud of her outstanding progress,” Betty said. “She has goals and works really hard to achieve them. She’s just so focused and determined.”

Betty, a lifelong educator who taught for the Richmond County School District for more than 40 years in four different elementary schools, also praised the education she received from then-Augusta College. She said attending classes there added a new chapter to her career in teaching. It made a big difference in her approach to strategies and gave her new creative ideas, which helped inspire her students to be excited about learning.

“The instructors were extremely encouraging and motivational, and they presented a lot of creative ideas and suggestions,” Betty said. “They challenged us to think outside the box and encouraged (us to be) lifelong learners. I kept that throughout my whole session with them and after, even presently.”

Betty is delighted that her children and grandchildren chose to earn degrees at her alma mater.

“Legacy grandmother is like a bonus title for me,” Betty admitted, enthusiastically. “I’m extremely proud of that and very honored. Also, it brings closeness among the family groups. We can share experiences, compare and contrast, and talk about our memories. It’s like a new legacy family tree that we hope will continue to thrive and grow.”