By Jamie Oleka
For Indiana State Comptroller Elise Nieshalla, the idea that motherhood and professional ambition must exist in tension has never felt quite right. Long before she navigated career pivots of her own, she witnessed a powerful example at home.
“My mom raised my brother and me in a way where we always knew we were number one on her list,” Elise recalls. “She was a working mom, but I never felt her stress. That was a gift.” Elise’s parents ran a business out of their home, and some of her earliest memories involve turning her mother’s workspace into a playground. An old phone, a typewriter, and discarded order forms became the tools of childhood imagination. When friends came over, they did not just play house; they played work.
Those early experiences planted a seed. Work could be meaningful and creative, woven naturally into family life. It also shaped how Elise would later approach her own decisions as a wife and mother. After marrying, they made a deliberate plan. Elise would work for several years before having children, saving intentionally so she could have flexibility later. “I wanted the freedom to be present with my children when they were young,” she says. “That mattered deeply to me.”
My mom raised my brother and me in a way where we always knew we were number one on her list… She was a working mom, but I never felt her stress. That was a gift.
Once she became a mom, stepping back from working outside of the home did not mean stepping away from her professional identity. With a master’s degree already completed, Elise began teaching as an adjunct professor at Indiana University. “I would teach a couple afternoons a week,” she explains. “I could grade papers during nap time. When I came home, I felt refreshed. It made me a better mom.” That rhythm of contributing outside the home while remaining deeply present inside it became a lifeline.
As her family grew to four children, Elise leaned even more fully into motherhood. What began as a one-year homeschooling experiment turned into a multiyear journey for three of her four kids. “We were having so much fun together,” she remembers. “I just did not want to rush past that season.”
Homeschooling was demanding, joyful, and formative not only for her children but for Elise herself. “It was the best kind of good hard work,” she says. “And I could not have done it alone.”
Even during those years, Elise stayed engaged professionally. She helped launch the Hoosier Leadership Series, a statewide program focused on faith, public policy, and leadership development. For more than a decade, she led sessions on education and tax policy, remaining closely connected to policy conversations while raising her family.
From Policy Engagement to Statewide Leadership
Those experiences eventually prepared Elise for the role she holds today. As Indiana’s State Comptroller, she serves as the state’s chief financial officer, responsible for overseeing the accounting and reporting of state funds and ensuring taxpayer dollars are managed responsibly.
Her office processes payments to state employees and vendors, distributes tax revenue to local governments, and provides financial data to the public through Indiana’s Transparency Portal. Through this work, the Comptroller’s office helps ensure Hoosiers have clear access to how public funds are managed and spent. For Elise, the role reflects the same values that guided earlier seasons of life: stewardship and responsibility.
The Long View of Motherhood
Now, with her youngest having left for college, Elise reflects on those years with gratitude. She sees her children as her most important legacy, formed not just by time spent but by values intentionally passed down. She often reflects on the influence of mothers throughout history, including those who shaped leaders like Ronald Reagan and Abraham Lincoln. Stories like Little Women and Little House on the Prairie also reinforced for her the beauty of deeply engaged motherhood.
“And every decision about when to work, how to work, and how to educate your children is deeply personal.”
“Motherhood is such a gift,” Elise says. “And every decision about when to work, how to work, and how to educate your children is deeply personal.” One piece of wisdom she holds especially close came from another mother. “Love your children extravagantly and discipline them consistently.”Today, as Elise’s professional and personal paths continue to intersect in new ways, her story serves as a reminder that meaningful lives are not built by choosing one role over another. Instead, they unfold by embracing each season with purpose.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jamie Oleka, a wife, mom, and a passionate advocate for debt free quality education, has extensive experience in K-12 and nonprofit management having most recently served as a Managing Director at Teach For America. Jamie holds a Masters of Education in Instructional Accommodations from Francis Marion University, Masters of Arts in Teaching, and Ed.S. in K-12 Administration from the University of Louisville.
