Elizabeth McElveen ’99
McElveen takes childhood hobby global for Alzheimer’s awareness
When graphic communications alumna Elizabeth McElveen was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, she rediscovered a childhood passion: puzzling. At the time, she was grieving the recent loss of her mother to Alzheimer’s, and puzzling became a way to honor her memory. In 2019, as rheumatoid arthritis made hobbies like baking and cookie decorating more difficult, McElveen turned back to puzzles.
“Puzzling has always been a part of my life, but after my mom’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis and later my own health challenges, it became a way to stay connected to my mom and keep my brain and memory strong,” she says.
McElveen’s love for puzzles soon became a way to connect with others, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when she discovered speed puzzling. She joined an online platform dedicated to it, met fellow enthusiasts across the country, and even began raising funds and awareness for the Alzheimer’s Association in honor of her mother.
The Alzheimer’s Association hosts several benefits throughout the year. One of them, the Longest Day, is on June 21, the summer solstice and the longest day of the year. People participated in the event by doing something they loved that day, and, for McElveen, that was puzzles.
McElveen has been participating in the Longest Day for seven years, but in 2023, she decided to switch things up by pushing herself to puzzle for 24 hours. On social media, she shared her puzzling from 7 p.m. on the 20th to 7 p.m. on the 21st with her followers, and when the second year rolled around, companies reached out to sponsor her.
“It’s inspiring how this has grown,” McElveen says. “It started as a personal challenge, but soon, puzzle companies wanted to sponsor, and my community jumped in to donate. Seeing so many people come together to support the cause has been one of the most rewarding parts of the experience.”
Puzzling has not only provided McElveen with a way to raise awareness, but it has also opened the door for her to find friends from around the world who also love puzzles. Her most recent international experience took her to Spain last fall for the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship. With some of her teammates from the United States, McElveen placed 45th out of 300 competing teams.
McElveen’s alma mater has also been working to fight Alzheimer’s. Clemson University recently expanded research into Alzheimer’s and dementia through the Preventing Alzheimer’s with Cognitive Training (PACT) study to determine whether computerized brain training exercises can help reduce the risk of cognitive decline. In 2024, University researchers received a grant from the National Institute on Aging to continue their work in dementia prevention through a clinical research study.
“I think by sharing my mom’s journey, I can help people see that Alzheimer’s affects every part of life, not just memory,” McElveen says. “Through puzzles, I’m raising awareness and encouraging others to understand the full impact.”
Fun Fact: In 2024, McElveen put together 682 puzzles.
