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Venture into any building on Seton Hall’s campus and one is likely to come across a number of SHU’s employee-students. These employees fall into two categories: graduate assistants and full-time employees who are also enrolled in classes.
Seton Hall employee Ana Goncalves, a Public Safety officer of nine years, takes classes at the University. Goncalves received her undergraduate degree from Seton Hall in May 2014.
Goncalves said that she wanted to continue her studies at the graduate level because of the diplomacy program on campus.
“Seton Hall became my second family, and I really wanted to continue my education here,” Goncalves said. The Diplomacy program here allows Goncalves to earn a concentration in Human Rights and International Law and Security, all topics that she said she finds interesting.
Kelly Freeman, a freshman mentor, is also working toward her master’s degree in College Student Personnel Administration. She started her studies at Seton Hall in 2009 and earned her bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Economics.
Freeman decided to go to graduate school because she said that she was unhappy in the field of economics. During this time, she said she remembered how much she enjoyed being a peer advisor while she was a student, and was inspired to return to Seton Hall for a degree in Higher Education.
Freeman knew that Seton Hall was the right university to earn her graduate degree because of
the “positive experiences” she had while attending SHU as an undergraduate, and also because of the graduate assistantship program.
Freeman said that she was looking forward to working in the Freshman Studies department— the program that she credits with sparking her passion for higher education.
Angela Lofaro, director of Admissions Operations, is also one of the graduate employee-student Pirates.
Lofaro first “fell in love with the traditional atmosphere and beauty of the campus and sense of community,” that she said she found here at Seton Hall when she was a junior in high school.
She received her undergraduate degree in Diplomacy and International Relations from SHU in 2008, then earned her master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh.
In February 2013, Lofaro returned to Seton Hall, this time as a graduate student. She is currently enrolled in the PhD program for Higher Education and Leadership Management and Policy.
Lofaro’s “current and former supervisors earned their PhD’s at Seton Hall and highly recommended the program,” she said.
She said that the class gave her “a good perspective on why and how (her) job and department function the way that they do.”
As the director of Admissions Operations, Lofaro said she manages the application process and experience for all undergraduate and graduate students, and ensures that “all students applying to SHU receive a fair review of their application and prompt admission decisions,” she said.
“Being able to work in the Admissions Office at my alma mater means so much to me,” Lofaro said. “When I get the chance to speak with prospective students and families about SHU, they appreciate the fact that I am an alum and can speak highly of my experiences here as both a student and employee.”
Megan O’Malley can be reached at megan.omalley@student.shu.edu.
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