College was unfamiliar territory for Jeremiah Shinn, MA’00. But as a first generation student at Arkansas Tech University — on a campus of 4,500 at the time — he adapted.
When he arrived at the University of Michigan for graduate school, however, Shinn says he experienced “a bit of a culture shock.”
“My first semester at the University of Michigan was hard. I didn’t like it at first. But in retrospect, it was one of the most meaningful and transformative times of my life,” Shinn says.
Despite the University’s size, it was the people who made the difference for him on a busy campus.
“I was surrounded by brilliant people who challenged me to think in ways I never had before,” Shinn says. “I was supported by wonderful faculty, like Jana Nidiffer, who saw potential in me that I didn’t see in myself. I was part of a cohort of generous and supportive classmates who have since gone on to do wonderful things in the field of education and beyond.”
In July, Shinn was named the 20th president of the University of Montana. Prior to this role, Shinn served as the interim president of Boise State University for 14 months. He’d also previously served as a vice president at both Boise State University and Louisiana State University.
Shinn began his higher education career at Eastern Michigan University, and earned his Ph.D. in educational leadership there after graduating from U-M. As Shinn begins his tenure leading the University of Montana, he still reflects on the impact the University of Michigan had on his trajectory.
“I learned more at U-M than I ever imagined I could, both inside the classroom and in my graduate assistant roles in the Division of Student Life,” Shinn says. “I would not be here today if not for my exceptional experiences at the University of Michigan.”
Katherine Fiorillo is the senior editor of Michigan Alum.
