{"id":5229,"date":"2025-03-25T15:08:38","date_gmt":"2025-03-25T19:08:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/?p=5229"},"modified":"2025-03-25T15:46:32","modified_gmt":"2025-03-25T19:46:32","slug":"celebrating-womens-history-month-honoring-a-woman-behind-emerson-grad-studies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/websites.emerson.edu\/grad-life\/2025\/03\/25\/celebrating-womens-history-month-honoring-a-woman-behind-emerson-grad-studies\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrating Women’s History Month: Honoring a Woman Behind Emerson Grad Studies"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Women\u2019s History Month<\/strong><\/a> is all about spotlighting the strong women who drive success and inspire change, sometimes from behind the scenes. This March, who better to interview than a woman who constantly works to make the Emerson experience as seamless as possible for our graduate students? For over ten years, Shaylin Hogan<\/a><\/strong> has worked alongside Emerson students as the Senior Program Manager of the Office of Graduate Studies<\/strong><\/a>. Whether she is organizing events, giving advice, or fixing someone\u2019s shoe minutes before their graduation ceremony, Shaylin embodies creativity and leadership in her job every day. Read on to hear more about her story and the women who have inspired her along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Role & Impact<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Tell us a little about yourself. How long have you been working at Emerson and what drew you to working here?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI started at Emerson in 2013. I grew up locally, and I knew about Emerson\u2019s reputation as a home for creative people, communication, and learning. Some of the smartest and most talented people I know have connections to Emerson!<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Selfie<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cAfter graduate school, I had a brief career in academic publishing because I thought it would marry my love of learning and words. Instead, I learned there is more business than creativity in that niche of the industry, and I recognized it was not a good fit. (To make matters worse, I worked in Statistics and Advanced Math books, which limited some of my opportunities.) When I saw that Emerson had an opening for an Administrative Assistant position in Emerson\u2019s Department of Writing, Literature, and Publishing<\/strong><\/a> (WLP), I jumped at the chance. I learned after I applied that the department chair was one of my former professors! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn WLP, I grew my role, and was promoted to Program Coordinator after Nicole Martignetti<\/strong> <\/a>transitioned to the Marlboro Institute for Liberal Arts & Interdisciplinary Studies<\/strong><\/a>. In those first few years, I developed a love and interest in graduate programming and supported the development and launch of Emerson\u2019s first fully online graduate program, the Popular Fiction Writing and Publishing MFA<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBased on that experience, I moved to Grad Studies so I could focus my attention on graduate programs full time. I have to say: the reputation of the Emerson community drew me in, but it\u2019s the people within the community who\u2019ve kept me here. Every day I am amazed I get to spend my time with so many passionate, intelligent, and kind people \u2013 staff, faculty, students, and alumni \u2013 all of whom have some intangible quality that I have only ever seen defined as \u2018Emersonian.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your role as Senior Program Manager for Graduate and Professional Studies involves a lot of behind-the-scenes work that directly impacts students. What are some aspects of your job that students might not realize you\u2019re responsible for? <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy department, the Office of Graduate Studies<\/strong><\/a>, handles just about everything related to graduate students. That includes the less exciting stuff, like knowing how many credits are in every program, tracking student progress through programs, curriculum changes; more exciting stuff, like Orientation and Graduate Hooding Ceremonies; and the very practical things like, \u2018Do graduate students know the College updated the WiFi?\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy favorite part of my job though is when I get to play the fixer. I joke about it, but it\u2019s actually real: if there\u2019s an uncommon situation for a student, or \u2018something weird\u2019 in their record, it usually lands on my plate. This includes, but is not limited to, finding student projects from before I was born (thank you, archivists, for helping), re-gluing a student\u2019s high heel before they crossed the stage at the Graduate Hooding Ceremony, and finding a Film & Media Art<\/strong><\/a> student a \u2018haunted looking barn.\u2019 There\u2019s never a dull moment, and I am always willing to help!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019re constantly working to create a supportive environment for graduate students. What initiatives or projects have been the most rewarding for you?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI love Commencement and our Graduate Hooding Ceremonies. LOVE them. Nothing feels better than applauding our students as they receive formal recognition for their hard work. Every year I cry actual human tears because I know that each name called is not simply because of fulfilled requirements. Each name is a beautiful fusion of hard work, learned skills, critical thoughts, creative genius, excitement, overcoming defeats, missed dinners with friends and family, plane rides, broken down MBTA cars, passion, frustration, joy, and the promise of future success. It\u2019s the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n