SNHU Spotlight: Alyson Mullen, BS in Criminal Justice Grad

Alyson Mullen ‘25 said her goal is to pursue a position as a juvenile probation officer. To get her started on this path, she earned her Bachelor of Science (BS) in Criminal Justice at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU).

Mullen first enrolled at a college near her home in eastern Pennsylvania, but she said the COVID-19 pandemic put a pause on her education. She chose to finish up her degree online at SNHU.

“I liked SNHU because of the easy transition,” she said. “They were able to transfer the credits.”

As a full-time working mother, Mullen said she appreciated the more flexible Thursday and Sunday deadlines. She said she also enjoyed the classes offered at SNHU, particularly the social science classes, as those related to her day-to-day life and interests in human behavior.

“I am definitely more open to ... the human mind and the impact you make (on someone’s life) by just having a daily conversation,” said Mullen.

Traveling with her parents, grandparents, husband and 1-year-old daughter, Mullen said it was important to attend the 2025 SNHU Commencement ceremony and receive her degree — for multiple reasons.

One, she said she and her husband have a map, which they use to keep track of the states they’ve visited — but they had yet to visit New Hampshire. And two, walking at Commencement was the culmination of 6 years of work.

“It feels really good and exciting,” she said.

Mullen isn’t done yet, either. She’s enrolled in SNHU's master’s in criminal justice program. Her goal in becoming a juvenile probation officer stems from her desire to help youth and those who are impacted by juvenile struggles, she said.

As a first-generation student, Mullen said another goal was to offer support to her daughter, the same way her family supported her as she pursued her degree.

Mullen also gave a shoutout to her advisor for his assistance.

“His name is Jeffrey Kaste,” she said. “He was very supportive and he called me about, like, once a month to check in, to make sure my courses were going well.”

For any prospective students, Mullen had this advice: “An online college is way different than a four-year university in your small town. (You) definitely should pursue it.”

Abigayle Mahnken ’22 is an assistant content writer at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), where she earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English and is currently earning a Master of Arts (MA) in English and Creative Writing. Passionate about storytelling and education, she enjoys learning from fellow students' experiences and sharing their stories. In her free time, she loves spending time with her family, reading, and learning. She also really likes video games. Connect with her on LinkedIn.