Parent
Reflection
Q&A with Amanda Shotts-Habursky
with Amanda
Shotts-Habursky
Shotts-Habursky
Slippery Rock University exists to enable student success, a commitment shared with their parents and family.
Michael and Amanda Habursky with their daughter Mikayla before SRU’s commencement ceremony.
A
manda Shotts-Habursky’s daughter Mikayla is a 2025 graduate with a degree in political science. Her other daughter, Mariska, is joining the SRU community as a first-year student in fall 2025 majoring in exercise science.
Amanda is the focus of the first Parent’s Perspective column that looks at what it’s like raising children to take their steps into adulthood at The Rock.
First off, describe your daughter’s experience at SRU and what it’s been like for you?
“She’s flourished. She has thrived since she’s been at Slippery Rock. She got involved early with her sorority (Alpha Omicron Pi) and Panhellenic council, becoming president by her junior year. She did two internships with the Jefferson Educational Society and as an assistant for State Rep. Robert Merski. She’s been on Dean’s List every semester and she’s truly come into her own and it’s been amazing to watch her grow.”
What role did you play in your daughter’s decision to choose SRU?
“She always wanted to go away to college, and we live in Erie with a lot of colleges nearby, so I let her guide me on what that means. It was her decision with our guidance. I said, ‘It’s your responsibility and you need to take control to find the answers.’ But as a parent, I’m a backup. While she was doing her research, I was doing mine as a well. When it finally came time to look at different colleges, Slippery Rock was very familiar to her. I attended SRU and many of my friends went there. She liked the campus and the programs and when we considered Slippery Rock’s affordability, it became an easy choice.”
What do you appreciate about SRU as a parent that maybe a student doesn’t as much?
“There are so many things: the distance from home where she can gain her independence, the safety of campus, and the small, ‘family’ feel. When I’m doing my research as a parent, people are available if I need someone to contact with a question, like the parents’ group on Facebook.”
What do you want other parents to know that you wish you knew four years ago?
“Slippery Rock has the students’ best interest in mind. They truly want your student to be successful and not just to get your student to come here. And to be successful, your student must become as independent as possible and figure things out on their own. They are going to do that with the help and support of the faculty and staff. But it can be hard at times for a parent to see your child struggle to figure it out, but that struggle will produce growth. Sometimes it’s best to sit on the sidelines and cheer them on.”