Amelia Dewberry-
This week’s Gustie of the Week is Professor in Classical Studies, Mary McHugh. McHugh is currently in her 19th year at Gustavus, teaching a variety of courses in Greek, Latin, Ancient Greek and Roman Art & Archaeology, FTS, and a new Challenge Seminar called Free Speech & Power.
Growing up in Wisconsin and Chicago, McHugh says “My late parents placed primary importance on our K-12 education, leaving it up to each of us to make the most of the opportunities we had. My dad was a skilled blue-collar laborer and my mom was a stay-at-home mother, who, after we had all grown up and left home, finished her Nursing degree.”
McHugh began her journey to Gustavus as a first-generation college student at Mt. Holyoke College in Massachusetts as a National Merit Semifinalist and Pell Grant recipient. She is the fourth of ten children, but the first to go to college. Entering college, McHugh intended to take the pre-med track but found a lot of joy in her ancient philosophy class her first semester. She ended up majoring in both Ancient Greek and philosophy: “a choice I have never regretted,” McHugh said.
“I didn’t know what I wanted to be or to do after I graduated with honors from Mt. Holyoke. I had a wide variety of jobs, from working with special needs children to bookseller to law firm secretary and paralegal and human resources assistant to purveyor of high-end cheeses and gourmet food,” McHugh said. However, she found that her humanities degree was never an obstacle in finding employment, and all of her interviewers had immense respect for it. While working at a large law firm in Boston, McHugh said she “realized that a career in law would not allow me the independence of thought I needed to have.”
She went on to graduate school studying Classics, earning her first Master’s Degree from Tufts University and her second Master’s and PhD degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Critical to her studies was time at both the American School of Classical Studies in Athens and the American Academy in Rome. McHugh describes that time as “incredibly privileged experiences of in situ study that are irreplaceable for my understanding of the ancient world, my research, and my teaching.”
After graduate school, McHugh took her first job at Gustavus for a year as a Visiting Assistant Professor. She then had a brief stint teaching at Hamilton College in upstate New York before returning to Gustavus in a tenure-track position.
McHugh cites the students as the best part of Gustavus. “The people (administrators, faculty, staff, etc.) and the campus itself are tied for a close second place. I love our students’ intelligence, curiosity, and enthusiasm, both in the classroom and in the many activities that they engage in that make life so enriching and fulfilling,” McHugh said.
One of these students is Junior Mayssa Tweet, part of the select group of students who were fortunate enough to take McHugh’s Challenge Seminar last spring. Beyond McHugh’s incredible knowledge and expertise, Tweet noted how welcoming and personable she is. “She always remained open-minded and truly wanted each student to be successful in her class. She always made me feel like I mattered and she was always there to lend a listening ear and be understanding,” Tweet said. Senior Tanner Hopkins has taken three classes with McHugh and agreed that “she is very caring and passionate, which makes learning about her topics fun and interesting.”
One of McHugh’s colleagues, Professor of Religion Casey Elledge, has known McHugh for over 15 years. He describes her as “cheerful, deeply thoughtful and knowledgeable and patient beyond measure.” It’s clear that McHugh has had an immeasurable impact throughout her years at Gustavus, inspiring students and staff alike.