Words by Jenny Lynn Davis | Images by Brack Bradley
For Ella Brooke Abner, returning home to Jasper after graduating from the University of Alabama feels very full circle.
A member of Jasper High School’s Class of 2021, Ella Brooke recently joined Young Jewelers as the company’s new Marketing Director, stepping into a role that allows her to combine her passion for branding and community connection with one of Jasper’s most established local businesses.
The opportunity, she said, came somewhat unexpectedly.
“I was honestly looking outward more than I was looking at coming back home,” she admits. “But this opportunity has truly ended up being the best thing for me.”
Ella Brooke officially began her role in early May and said she immediately felt welcomed by the Young Jewelers team.
“Everyone has been so warm and welcoming,” she says. “They make you feel comfortable immediately, whether you’re a client or an employee.”
Founded in 1948, Young Jewelers has long been a trusted name in the Jasper community. As the company continues expanding, including work on its new flagship location, Ella Brooke says she is excited to help share that growth while honoring the business’s history.
In her role, Ella Brooke hopes to help bring the Young Jewelers experience to life visually, digitally, and in person. She describes her work as a blend of modern marketing, technology, storytelling, client experience, and community engagement.
“I’m helping connect the legacy of Young Jewelers with the next generation of clients,” she says. “Young Jewelers is not changing who we are; we’re building on who we have always been, so it’s about honoring tradition while also helping move the company forward.”
Ella Brooke’s interest in marketing grew during her time at UA, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Information Sciences with a concentration in Advertising and Public Relations and a minor in Psychology. She also completed two summer internships in the marketing department at Thompson Tractor in Birmingham, gaining hands-on experience in branding, customer engagement, and campaign development.
“I really have a passion for combining the storytelling of a brand and bringing it to life,” she says. “I think it’s really important how you make people feel, because people remember that.”
Ella Brooke says she cares deeply about people and tries to approach relationships and experiences with sincerity and purpose.
Resilience has also become a defining part of her story. After surviving a grease fire accident last year, Ella Brooke says the experience reshaped her perspective and strengthened her sense of gratitude, empathy, and purpose.
“I was ultimately presented with two options,” she says. “I could stay in my anger and let that define me forever, or I could use it as my reason why.”
One phrase has stayed with her throughout her recovery: “Flowers grow in the valley.”
“To me, that means that even through hardship and unexpected growth, purpose and beautiful things can still emerge,” she says. “Some of the most meaningful transformations happen in the moments you would have never chosen for yourself.”
Now that she is beginning this new chapter with Young Jewelers, Ella Brooke says she is grateful for the opportunity to return home and contribute to a company rooted in community.
“I believe things happen for a reason,” she says. “And this felt exactly like what was supposed to happen.” WL
