Why Give to Graduate Education?
We are celebrating Dawg Day of Giving by highlighting Dr. Sylvia Hutchinson, whose contributions have been transformative to graduate education at UGA. Dr. Hutchinson is a member of the Graduate Education Advancement Board and a long-standing member of the UGA community since receiving her doctorate in Reading Education in 1976. She is Professor Emerita in the Department of Language and Literacy Education in the Mary Frances Early College of Education, and in 2019, Dr. Hutchinson was the recipient of the President’s Medal.
Her passion for graduate education and the support of graduate students led to the establishment of the McCoy-Hutchinson Mentoring Academy. We recently sat down with her to hear more about what has led her to support graduate education at UGA in such transformative ways.
What motivates you to support graduate education?
I had such an incredible experience as a graduate student. I had the best major professor that anybody in the world could have. He was a stickler for rules and precision, but at the same time this wonderful combination of caring for his students.
I just love the idea of providing the same support and giving back to graduate students that have the same experience. That support gave me such overwhelming affection for the University.
Two of your main passions in graduate education are mentoring students and supporting students who are parents. Why are those important to you?
I was so intimidated when I arrived at UGA. I came from Young Harris College with 500 students, and there were 6,000 here. I told my husband, who was from Athens, that “I’m not going back to that place, it’s spread out all over everywhere and I can’t find my way.” Thankfully, I had an incredible mentor who made it easier to manage the process.
If we don’t mentor students, we miss the opportunity to foster and see their potential. We are the losers if those students don’t stay. We miss out on the wealth that could bring to us, in experiences and relationships – it’s wasted potential.
I also had two children when I was in graduate school, and our home was in Gainesville part of the time, and so I found myself being here when I needed to be with the children and with the children when I needed to be here, and it was problematic. And children are so expensive! It’s entirely possible that a new child, just like an automobile that goes defunct, can cause a student to drop out. So, it just seemed like a really good thing to support students who are parents.
What do you think are some of the most exciting changes in graduate education in recent years?
Getting to be on the Graduate Advancement Board has been a boon because I’ve heard the students’ research, and how we have connected positively with units all over campus, but most especially with students as individuals. So, if I were a graduate student now, and I had a problem, I would feel much more comfortable coming to somebody in graduate school than I would have long ago.
What do you hope your impact, or your legacy, is on graduate education?
If there’s any legacy, I would hope that graduate students feel supported and know that somebody along the way cared that they had the opportunity –- a legacy of care.
The Graduate School expresses deep gratitude to Dr. Hutchinson for her support of UGA graduate students!
If you’re also passionate about graduate student success, please consider donating on this Dawg Day of Giving by visiting Dawg Day of Giving 2025 – Alumni, Donors & Friends – University of Georgia and selecting Graduate Student Emergency Fund to assist students experiencing challenges that are impacting their degree progress. For more ways to support graduate education at UGA, see grad.uga.edu/give.
