HELA: More than Just Graduate School

By: Dom Lucyshyn and Madelynn Lockwood

The Higher Education Leadership and Administration program (HELA) is a graduate-level program that focuses on preparing students for a range of careers in higher education. It has become one of the most popular programs at Canisius, drawing a range of diverse students.

Kaycee Viator is a second-year student in the HELA program. As part of the program, she works as a graduate assistant in the Student Engagement and Leadership Development program and as an intern for the University at Buffalo in their community and civic engagement office. 

She says, “[HELA] has gotten me a lot of relevant experience within the higher ed field, with my internships and assistantship. And getting hands-on experience within the workplace, and developing myself as a professional after graduation.” This is a common theme amongst HELA students. Many feel that their many opportunities to have hands-on experiences has been a game changer for them. 

Another student, Phillip Reutter, serves as one of three full-time hall directors for the office of Student Life. This past summer, he interned at Le Moyne College in their office of Student Development. And if that’s not enough, he also serves as the Canisius Athletics spirit manager. Phil adds, “I really fell in love with the tight knit community that Le Moyne had, and saw the same aspect at Canisius.” 

HELA students also have the opportunity to write a Master’s thesis to cap off their time at the university. Enock Atta-Sah Nimfour, a second-year HELA student, wrote his on something that is directly related to his graduate assistantship in the Griff Center for Accessibility Services. He entitled his “Disability Support Services in fostering a sense of belonging among college students with disabilities.” If a full-length thesis is not what a student is looking for, there is an alternative route which ends with a comprehensive final exam.

The program being ingrained with the Jesuit ideals that Canisius is known for has been a hallmark of the program. All of the students interviewed for this program made mentions of the rigorous aspects of the program that push them to build their own perceptions of the world around them. Experiential learning is found too with two higher education conference trips being included in the program. 

If you are interested in the HELA program, then you should take a deeper dive into the program information found on the Canisius website.