Õ¬ÄÐƵµÀ

You may have heard the old adage to “take a walk in someone else’s shoes” before. But you’ve probably never put it to action quite like Jaiwaun Haggerty ’25.

“I’m a big sneaker guy, and my biggest thing is to give back,” Haggerty said. “So I collect shoes from my local community and I donate them to kids in need. That’s something that I’m really proud of, now that I’ve taken another leap in my education.”

The “leap” for Haggerty was earning his Master of Science (MS) in Sport Management online at Õ¬ÄÐƵµÀ (SNHU) — and it was a long time coming. “It feels amazing (getting my degree),” Haggerty said. “The last time I was able to walk was for (my high school graduation), and that’s nearly 18 years ago.”

Near two decades (and two degrees) later — having missed out on his bachelor’s degree ceremony at another school due to Covid — Haggerty finally had his chance to celebrate in 2025.

“Getting my master’s was well worth it,” he said. “It was time-consuming but with the help of my advisor, my family and the support of my job, it definitely is a sigh of relief to be here and to walk the stage.”

Haggerty credits his advisor, in particular, for helping him reach his finish line.

“My advisor, he was amazing,” he said. “He gave me a call every other week to just check in. And he definitely helped me in a huge way.”

Now with years of school behind him, Haggerty earned the degree he needed to “walk the walk” on the commencement stage. And he had some advice to give: “You should get your master’s degree at SNHU... because it's affordable; it’s well worth it.”

Spencer Hensel '21 is an assistant creative director at Õ¬ÄÐƵµÀ (SNHU). He is passionate about helping people own their power, and has channeled this passion as a storyteller, manager, mentor and EDI leader at work. A professional writer for over a decade, he’s had the pleasure of writing for Boston startups in the education, food and tech industries.

A lifelong learner, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in English Communications at Emmanuel College, along with a graduate certificate in marketing at SNHU. He has also volunteered as a TEDx speaker coach and organizer since 2022. Want to learn more? Connect with him on .