RELEASED: June 5, 2003

DANVILLE, KY—While many of her fellow 2003 graduates are off to jobs or graduate school, Laura Hellebusch is heading for the highway.

She's deferred graduate school for a year so that she and her friend and classmate, Jennifer DeLeeuw, can take a cross-country driving trip. For three months they plan to travel from Cincinnati to Canada, then down the east coast, across the south and up the west coast before returning home.

Hellebusch, who double majored at Centre, earning degrees in music and English, hopes to help finance her travels by singing and playing guitar at coffee shops along the way—something at which she has experience.

Hellebusch, a Cincinnati native, was the first featured performer at a new coffee shop in Danville (Ky.) called Eclectic Coffee Company, where she earned tips and sold CDs of her original music.

"I love coffee shops," Hellebusch said. "When [the Eclectic Coffee Company] opened in Danville, I was so excited.

"Dr. (Beau) Weston, who's also a frequent customer, told the owners that I'm a singer and songwriter," she said. After listening to her demos, they asked her to perform.

But her cross-country trip won't be the end of her coffee shop days. She's going to Morocco with a group led by Larry Bitensky, assistant professor of music at Centre, next CentreTerm. When Bitensky and company return to the states, Hellebusch plans to stay in Europe for a while and perhaps find some new coffee shops.

Hellebusch has been involved in much of the music scene at Centre during her four years. Her experience has run the gamut from classical vocal recital to playing clarinet in the newly formed klezmer band, the Klezmaholics.

"Being a music major has been a very broadening experience for me. You have to have a very versatile brain to be a music major at Centre."

She'll put those skills to use on the road this summer.

"The next year is going to be really exciting. I can't wait," she said.

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