Central MA College Standout: Clark’s Shalyn Hopley

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Tuesday, April 08, 2014

Susan Wagner, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

Shalyn Hopley is a senior at Clark University majoring in English with a Business Management Minor. The 21-year-old Princeton resident has been an extremely active student leader at Clark and serves currently as a Housing Complex Manager, Office Assistant in English Department, President of Stitch Club, Representative to the English Department Chair, former Summer Conference Assistant, and volunteer for Destination Imagination. Hopley has also been a Trustee Committee Liaison to Clark Undergraduate Student Council, Peer Learning Assistant, and Section Editor for STIR.

A conversation with Shalyn Hopley

SW: What are you planning to pursue when you graduate?

SH: Currently, I am hoping to find work in higher education and student affairs. When I came to Clark, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I thought I would be a teacher or maybe an editor. But because of my experiences in Residential Life and Housing, I think I’ve really found my passion in working with students outside the classroom. I’d love to have a Hall Director position for the next academic year. Regardless of whether that is what happens or not, I know I want to feel like I’m doing a little bit of good each day. That’s what I want for my future.

SW: What is your course of study and what drew you to it?

SH: I’m an English major. I knew that was what I was going to be when I went to college. It’s my passion. I love storytelling and narrative. It’s how I think and make connections.

SW: What has been your most memorable course or professor?

SH: Every year the English Department has a course in the Fall semester called Capstone, and it is required for every senior English major. It was by far my most memorable course. The professor was amazing, and she taught me so much about research, about English as a field, and about what I can do after I leave Clark. I still think about the questions she posed to my class on a daily basis.

SW: You have taken on a lot of leadership roles at campus. What has been the most meaningful?

SH: I’ve done a lot on campus, mostly because I could not stick to just one thing; my activities tend to vary from year to year. But I think the biggest leadership role I have taken on so far is being a Housing Complex Manager, which is like an elevated Resident Advisor. I get to have direct residents and do all the stuff I did as an RA, but I also work on more administrative things, like department initiatives. I love being a Housing Complex Manager the most, because I get to be in touch with all the RAs on campus. When I was an RA in a building, I rarely saw other RAs across campus. Now since I do campus rounds on the weekends, I get to see them all.

SW: How have you been involved in the community?

SH: I’ve lived near Worcester almost all my life but never really embraced it until I came to college. It began with my internship at Worcester Magazine the summer after my sophomore year. It encouraged me to get out there and find things I love to do in Worcester. You may need to look for it, but it is out there! I found my Worcester niche not in writing and journalism but instead in volunteering. I have volunteered as a Hotline Counselor with Pathways for Change and with Destination Imagination, an international student-driven performing arts and problem-solving program. They are two very different types of volunteering, but I like how they complement each other. I get to help a lot of different people and do a lot of different things.

SW: Where do you like to go in the area?

SH: I go to Zumba in Holden. It is free, and the instructors are wonderful. It is my weekly excursion—something I do just for me.

SW: What are you passionate about?

SH: English. Books. Residential Life. Zumba. Good food.

SW: What is one thing you have learned about yourself since becoming a college student?

SH: I’ve learned that I’m capable of more than I could have imagined. I spent a lot of high school being really afraid—afraid of failure, afraid of other’s perception, just generally afraid. I’m still afraid a lot, but I don’t let it stop me. In fact, sometimes it makes me more motivated to do something. Because of that, I have done more than I thought I would be able to do. I’ve lost and kept off over fifty pounds. I’ve kept a 4.0 GPA up to now. I’ve gotten a tattoo. I went on my first date. I wrote an honors thesis. I did not know I could do all that when I came to Clark.

SW: What is your favorite quote?

SH: “If you surrender to the air, you can ride it.” –Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison. This quote has stuck with me since I read it in high school. To me, it is about letting go and letting something take you where it will.

SW: What is your favorite book or movie?

SH: I never pick the same favorite book twice, but my favorite movie always stays the same: The Princess Bride. It is my favorite and it always will be. There is something so beautiful and funny and witty about it all. My family quotes it all the time.

SW: What or who has had the greatest influence on you to date?

SH: My family, both sides of it. I have a huge family, and they are all very close. My dad’s side of the family has taught me the value of intellect, the importance of confidence and preparedness, and the love of good food and long lakeside walks. My mom’s side has taught me the joy of laughter, the solace of embraces and shared memories, and the value of not worrying so much. My family is the key to understanding who I am.

SW: What would someone be surprised to learn about you?

SH: I think people are most shocked to learn that I have four siblings, three of which are under the age of five. There is Natasha (19) who goes to Clark with me, Gabriel (4), Amelia (3), and William (1). It is hard to imagine that Amelia and Will weren’t even born when I came to Clark.

SW: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

SH: I’d like to be working in a university, probably still in Residential Life but maybe in Disability Services, Alumni Affairs, or Academic Advising. I’d like to have grad school already behind me in five years, if only to not have to take the GREs again! It is funny to say I still see myself in college in five years, but that is what I see. I’d be happy with that.

SW: If you could do just one thing, locally, nationally or globally to make a difference, what would it be?

SH: I’d make more protected left turns along Main Street and Park Avenue. Just kidding! (Although seriously, I do hate driving in Worcester) If I could do one thing, I think it would be to make education beyond high school—be it vocational training or traditional higher education or whatever—more accessible for everyone.

 

Central MA College Standout is a weekly feature that profiles college and university students in Central MA. Join us every Tuesday for a look at the careers and lifestyles of today’s local college student. If you have suggestions for a profile, email [email protected].

Susan D. Wagner is president of Susan Wagner PR, a boutique public relations firm invested in meeting client's goals with integrity and creativity.

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