Emmalynne Shumard was at her internship with University Marketing and Communications (UMC) when she received the phone call informing her of her acceptance into Harvard Medical School’s master’s program in media, medicine, and health.
“I was so excited,” said Shumard, a senior public relations major at Illinois State University. “I’ll get to study exactly what I want to study for an entire year. This study of the health field and the way we tell stories in the health field, and especially around disability, is what I want to do forever, and I get to start that next fall, which is awesome.”
Her passion for the subject stems from her own personal experience with disability. Shumard has cerebral palsy, which affects a muscle in her right leg, causing balance issues and difficulty walking at times.
“Public relations is all about storytelling, and I’ve been figuring out how to tell the story of my disability to people who ask all my life,” said Shumard. “It was an easy step to imagine being able to use what I’ve learned to help others share their experiences.”
She chose to pursue a master’s program in media, medicine, and health at Harvard because it’s the only program like it in the country. Other programs focus on the health system without connecting to the storytelling element she finds so appealing.
“Once I knew they would allow me to focus on disability, I never looked back,” said Shumard.
Before Shumard moves to Cambridge, Massachusetts, she will earn a bachelor’s degree from Illinois State University’s School of Communication this May.
A Tolono native, Shumard found Illinois State to be the perfect distance from home. She majored in public relations with a minor in creative writing.
“I knew that I needed to be in a place that felt like me,” said Shumard. “Other schools I’ve been to didn’t really have the kind of friendly atmosphere that ISU has. And I remember being here and feeling like the walkable campus and the environment I was in was very welcoming and a very good place to be.”
Shumard has made the most of her time at Illinois State despite COVID-19 interrupting part of her freshman and sophomore years. From getting involved with the Forensics Team and the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) to becoming a teaching assistant for two communication classes, she kept busy during her time on campus.
She also gained experience outside the classroom through her internship with UMC, learning skills that she’ll use in her future career.
“I love this job,” said Shumard. “All of this writing and editing work that I’m doing is giving me very hands-on experience with exactly the kind of thing I’m going to need as a public relations professional.”
For Shumard, her growth as a student and professional communicator can be credited to a lot of individuals, but also to her overall experience at Illinois State.
“Illinois State is a really good example, at least in my experience, of what happens when you care about what you’re doing,” said Shumard. “At Illinois State I get a real sense of investment and care from the professors, from the students, from anyone that comes to work here. I see a lot of affection not only for the University itself, but for all the people that embody it.”
While she kept busy and made a lot of connections through her involvement in various clubs and jobs, the memories that mean the most to her are the times spent with her freshman year roommate, Kate Kostrub. With COVID-19 limiting their ability to explore campus, she and Shumard made the most of social isolation during the pandemic with movie nights featuring Avatar the Last Airbender, glow sticks, and popcorn.
“We still meet once a week for lunch because we’re best friends forever at this point,” said Shumard.
Her parting advice for future Redbirds is to not let fear stop them from trying new experiences and taking advantage of every opportunity.
“If there’s something you want to do, you should create space for yourself to do it,” Shumard said. “This is the time when you are going to be most free and most open to new experiences, ideas, and opportunities, and you shouldn’t deny yourself.”
This story is one of a series of profiles on Redbirds who are graduating this May. For more information about how Illinois State is celebrating commencement, visit the Graduation Services website.
