Emily Creery

Emily (she/her) believes that high-ability students need more than strong study skills and polished résumés. They also need permission to be vulnerable, imperfect, and fully (complicatedly) human. She chose a career in student affairs because she knows what it feels like to question who you are once the familiar markers of success disappear. For much of her life, test scores, creative projects, and carefully crafted papers were the measures of her worth. Stepping beyond the structured comfort of the education system challenged her to redefine what success—and self-worth—truly meant to her.

Those experiences continue to shape how she shows up for students. As an advocate and enthusiastic cheerleader for UNI's Honors & Scholars students, she loves walking alongside them as they experience those powerful "aha" moments of self-discovery. Her goal is to help loosen the grip of perfectionism and imposter syndrome so there's room for genuine confidence, mental well-being, and self-acceptance. More than anything, she hopes students leave college excited—not afraid—about what's next, knowing that who they are beyond their achievements is, and always has been, more than enough.

FAVORITES & FACTS

• Favorite Movie: The Breakfast Club (and most films from the 1980s)
• Favorite TV Show: Gilmore Girls
• Favorite Book: The Tale of Despereaux
• I have a beloved cat, Coco Chanel, who is my purrrr-ide and joy!
• I'm extremely passionate about advocating for animal welfare and anti-cruelty.
• My fashion aesthetic gives The Tortured Poet Department, but my spaces and heart scream Lover!
• I don't especially thrive on small talk, but I do love honest, heartfelt questions and conversations.

EDUCATION

Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Student Affairs | Education for Social Justice
Iowa State University

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Journalism & Mass Communication | Human Rights
The University of Iowa