In 2005, Susan Watrous stepped back onto the same campus she had left in her undergrad. Only now, she was in the shoes of her former advisor and friend, Conn Hallinan.
When Susan speaks of Conn now, she reflects much on how his mentorship impacted her own process of supporting the various student groups under Student Media. Hallinan was someone you could “call up ten years later for a shoulder to cry on, or just to get some advice,” she explained. He would always show up, and that’s who she wanted to be for her incoming students.
With a little over two decades of advising and teaching under her belt, it is clear that Susan not only exceeded — but expanded — on what being an advisor encompasses. Whether it’s a pitch idea, a legal concern, or finding a cat in the road at 11:30 p.m., she’s someone who will pick up in two rings and do her best to support in any way she can.
Back in fall 2025, Susan sat us down under the heat of the September sun and told us this would be her last year as faculty advisor of City on a Hill Press. It was tear-jerking news, to say the least. We found it hard to imagine a City on a Hill without her.
Although, we must admit, we have a sneaking suspicion that Susan won’t entirely retire. We know she’ll still be a phone call away when we need advice on the next step of our career, when we’re stuck on how to tell a story, when we see a cool bird and need someone to tell.
She continues to echo that it’s the students that keep this space going, not her. Susan Watrous has never stopped believing in the ability of her students to reinvent, to fight and bring about much-needed change to the systems we are a part of. We’re willing to bet that won’t stop now.
Thank you, Susan. You have been, and will continue to be, a guiding light to us all. You’ve left quite the shoes to fill, and we will miss you.
With gratitude,
City on a Hill Press Staff 2026
