Amy Mathason Hagan, Marist 03

Majored in History with a minor in American Studies and Concentration in Public History.

What has your career path been to this point?

I am currently the Director of Alumni Services at the West Point Association of Graduates. I’ve also held various roles in business development, customer care, and sales administration at corporations such as General Electric and Olympus Americas, Inc.

Can you share a memory from your time at HRVI that stands out as meaningful?

I was in one of the very first groups of interns for the Institute. There are many memorable moments from my time as an intern with the Hudson River Valley Institute. I was lucky enough to meet some wonderful people who I still consider to be very dear friends.

How has your experience at HRVI helped you advance your education and/or professional pursuits since graduating from Marist?

Dr. Johnson, who I still refer to as “Colonel”, served as one of my references to graduate school and as a professional reference several times. I doubt he realized how much of my career was shaped by my time at HRVI or his influence. After I graduated, I planned to go into something related to history and considered graduate school. Life took me into another direction, and I ended up earning an MBA and pursuing a career in business with a brief stopover working for the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor. As an intern, I had been part of HRVI’s West Point Bicentennial celebrations at the United States Military Academy in 2002. I immediately fell in love with the history and traditions of West Point. I saw a job opening come up with their alumni association in 2013 and I applied. I am now the Director of Alumni Services and I can use that background in history and business daily. I never would have looked there if I hadn’t had such a great experience as an intern for HRVI.

As HRVI celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2022, do you have any advice for future HRVI interns based on your time at HRVI and your experience in your professional field?

My advice for future interns would be to take advantage of this opportunity and learn as much as you can from it. You might find it comes back later in life to be something more than you ever thought it could have been.