Shay Hopley

Undergrad: Clark University

Major: English

Hometown: Princeton, MA

Assistantship: The Graduate School

Bio: My name is Shalyn Hopley, but please feel free to call me Shay. I am from Princeton, MA, but I have been working in Residence Life for the past four years, first in Fargo, ND at North Dakota State University and most recently in Danbury, CT at Western Connecticut State University. Prior to that, I received my undergraduate degree at Clark University in English with concentration of women and gender and a minor in business management.

Student Affairs unites two of my passions: education and storytelling. I come from a family of educators, and it is through my involvement as a Resident Assistant and student leader that I found my education niche working with students to help them develop the skills they will use for life. As I started to get more interested in Student Affairs, my assistant dean of students at Clark said to me that his job was to teach people the value of their stories and how they can tell their stories in a way that impacts the world around them. For me, that was the moment the light went off, and I knew this was the field for me.

I deeply enjoy crafting and working out, even though I’m bad at them. I love to cook and bake, listen to podcasts, go for walks, and spend time with folks over a snack or cup of tea. I have four siblings, three of which are under the age of 10, and one amazing partner who has followed me on this student affairs journey. I am excited to create community with the HESA Class of 2020 cohort and make UConn one of my homes!