A passion for people
We are honoring the 2019 International Women's Day and Women's History Month this week by highlighting three College of Liberal Arts women making history.
Part three of 2019 International Women’s Day series features Lynn Hagan — dedicated supporter of Aggie women and former student of the Department of Anthropology.
Read part one and part two of this series.
The life of Lynn Hagan ‘77 is a patchwork of experiences that are seemingly unconnected. But when you look closely at her career of serving as the Director of Education at the largest aquarium in the Middle East, as a trauma counselor after the 9/11 attacks, and as a dedicated supporter of Texas A&M’s Aggie Women Network, the common thread is clear: a passion for people.
“In my life, I wanted to exemplify what Aggies aspire to do — lead by example,” Hagan said. “That only happens when we look beyond ourselves and step outside of comfort zones.”
Beginning with Curiosity
Hagan’s experience of leading by example began the moment she came to study at Texas A&M University in 1973. She entered her college years with a defined objective to study anthropology, inspired by frequent childhood trips to national parks. Texas A&M didn’t have an established anthropology department yet, so Hagan started in sociology and made the switch in 1975, right after the anthropology department was created by Vaughn Bryant.
“I’ve always been fascinated by answering the questions that surround prehistoric people: What happened to them? How did food and climate play a part in that story?” Hagan said. “I was told my anthropology degree would not be useful or land any jobs, but it turns out we’re facing the same problems today as the prehistoric people did. It’s important to learn from the past.”
Contrary to naysayers, Hagan had no problem finding jobs in the area she was passionate about and wasted no time to begin. One of her first positions was with the Louisiana Nature & Science Center in New Orleans, where she oversaw volunteers for aeroscience and social science camps. While in Louisiana, she also worked with the local school board and American Association of University Women to fight gender bias in the classroom.
Hagan went on to receive both a Master of Science in recreation and a Master of Social Work. Eventually, her husband received a job offer that would take him to Kuwait, and she was faced with a decision between choosing comfort and staying, or facing fears and going.
Right Place, Right Time
Not knowing what to expect, Hagan decided to step out beyond what was comfortable and see what opportunities awaited her in Kuwait. Not only did she receive a job as director of education for the Scientific Center in Kuwait — which housed the region’s largest aquarium and historic harbor — but she was able to put into practice many of the skills from her liberal arts degree.
“Many foreigners will go to other countries with preconceived or prejudiced ideas about the cultures, and they miss out on a lot,” Hagan said. “My liberal arts education equipped me to know how to observe and appreciate other cultures. Because of that, we made local friends that warmly embraced us and shared that they had never met an American who didn’t try to change things about their culture.”
Hagan thinks back on the numerous opportunities that greeted her overseas, and how easily she might have missed out on them. They moved to Kuwait in June 2001, only three months before the terrorist attacks in New York City. Because of her background and knowledge in clinical social work, the U.S. Embassy contacted her soon after the events to provide psychotherapy to workers in the country. Hagan knew that she was in the right place at the right time to serve others.
Not long after, Hagan’s global adventure took her to Aberdeen, Scotland, where she volunteered for the city archaeologist. Immersing herself in local culture and history, she created a script for an Aberdeen walking tour.
Hagan attributes the uniqueness of her wide-spread career to how she was trained by the College of Liberal Arts: “While other disciplines more narrowly train you for a specific trade, the liberal arts are broadly encompassing,” she said. “I left the College of Liberal Arts as a writer, a researcher, a critical thinker — and those are highly marketable skills.”
Leading By Example
About 35 years after leaving Texas, Hagan and her husband moved back in 2014 and retired in the Brazos Valley. Even still, Hagan’s work did not cease but instead evolved and redirected.
The Hagans at midnight yell. Photo: provided.
“I became really involved in the Aggie Women’s Network, remembering my experience as a first-generation female student,” Hagan said. “There weren’t many resources offered back then to provide help or guidance for women students, and I was excited to see how the University had developed.”
The Aggie Women’s Network works hand-in-hand with Texas A&M’s Women Resource Center, collaborating on events to reach and equip female students. Hagan knew that she wanted to help in a way that would reach the broadest number of people. Because of that, she established the WRC’s first endowment, carrying on her life mantra of leading by example.
“I hoped people would see this and know that they can make an impact as well,” Hagan said. “In all areas of life, it starts by stepping outside of the things that are convenient and going forth. You never know what opportunities of impact are waiting for you.”
Hagan looks at the patchwork of her life and knows that it’s all related to people. Whether it’s the prehistoric people she’s studying, or the people she’s working with at home or abroad, she believes every person simply needs to understand what they are capable of doing, and have access to the tools to get there. And she wants to help people get those tools to build their dreams.
By Alix P ’18