Meet Fellow APA Member Shannon McGaughey
By Gerlind Kiupel, Communications Committee Member
What is your job title? Human Resources Coordinator
How long have you been at MSU? 16 Years.
Have you been a member of the APA the whole time? No
What department do you work in, and can you tell me a little bit about what you do? Residence Education & Housing Services and I hire the students that work in the Division of Student Life and Engagement.
What brought you to your job at MSU? I have a master’s degree in counseling and School Psychology and my emphasis was Student Affairs. In Student Affairs there is a wide range of areas that you can become a part of, and I chose Housing and Residence Life. I lived on a college campus small to medium to large sized from 1992 until 2012 as a live on Community Director, Resident Assistant or a Graduate Assistant Hall Director. I have worked at 6 different campuses and through joining associations like NASPA (National Association for Student Personnel Administrators) or ACPA (American College Personnel Association) that is how I found out about MSU. These associations post positions for people that want to stay in the higher education student affairs field. I applied and came to MSU for the position and never left. I began as a Community Director here and lived in Case, Wilson, Bryan and Bailey Halls, and then I transitioned to a Neighborhood Administrative Coordinator and then to HR. MSU was one of the best places I could have ever asked to work, it has been an amazing experience and I would not trade it for anything else.
What do you enjoy most about working at MSU? I love working with the students and helping them get through their college experience with success and help them have experiences that matter to their futures.
What do you like to do when you are not at work? I love to travel and spend time with my family and friends.
In high school I was known for: I went to a very large high school, I was not raised in Michigan, I was raised in Lincoln, Nebraska and there were over 2,000 students in my high school, and in my class alone we had 380 students I graduated with. It was an unpleasant experience. During my sophomore year, I experienced 5 students in my class committing suicide, in one week. I also had very wealthy students I went to school with: when they turned 16, they had brand new cars, such as a Land Rover, Mercedes, BMW or Maserati and it did not end at 16; that happened every year until they graduated. There was a lack of diversity too, I had, and I wish I were joking, four people of color in my graduating class – three were of Asian descent and one was African American. I went to school with very prominent people from Lincoln (the State Treasurer’s daughters attended, doctors and lawyers, professors from the universities, etc.). It was a hard and difficult time as well because not only did you have to compete to have a great car, but you were also judged by how you dressed. If you did not wear the brands of the year you were completely out of the picture. So, when going to the store, we did not have the internet like we do now in the early 90’s, I read fashion magazines to keep up and I would go to Penney’s, Younkers or Dillard’s and buy the clothes as close to what was featured in the magazines. I could not wait to get to college and be accepted, and so that is where I felt grounded and found that I did not have to compete as much.
People would be surprised to know I am skilled at baking cookies.
I have two pets.
I like all kinds of music.
My favorite area restaurant is Olive Gardenand my favorite dish is pasta with shrimp made withan alfredo sauce.
My hobbies include crocheting, reading, traveling and gardening.
My favorite junk food is Doritos becasue the cheese is good!