Malin Himmerson

Malin Hilmersson believes in living outside of her comfort zone. In 2009, she became the first person in her family to earn an undergraduate degree, in 2012, she moved to Texas from Sweden in pursuit of a new career, in 2016 she became an American citizen, and in 2017, she completed her master’s degree in higher education administration from SHSU Online.

Today, she helps students achieve their own goals and expand their world views as the study abroad coordinator in the Office of International Programs at Sam Houston State University.

Hilmersson herself had experience as a student learning in a new country when she moved to the United States from Sweden. She had thought about getting her master’s degree for years, but was not sure how to make it work with a fulltime job. After researching online programs and discovering the flexibility of an online degree from SHSU, she realized the higher education administration program was for her.

“I did my undergraduate degree in Sweden, so the learning experience would be different in so many ways. Admittedly, I was also nervous about an online program since I had never taken an online course before. The higher education administration program at SHSU and its faculty have a very good reputation, so the choice was not difficult,” Hilmersson said.

Additionally, Hilmersson found the guidance she received from online instructors was comparable to her past experiences in a traditional classroom.


“All of the online faculty were wonderful and created an educational and supportive environment."

— Malin Hilmersson


“They were always available for assistance through face-to-face meetings, phone calls or video chats,"Hilmersson said

Hilmersson achieved all  of her major life milestones after setting personal goals for herself and accepting any challenges that came her way.

“I don’t think my parents or anyone really considered me getting a master’s degree, but it was part of my personal plan,” Hilmersson said. “It helped me develop as a professional and I did it just for me and not for anyone else.” 

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