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Mary Shanahan: Keeping your mind and options open

By Isabella Cardarelli

Mary's job title: Marketing & Communications Coordinator
Organization: Elmwood Spa

MMJC alum Mary Shanahan works as a marketing and communications coordinator at Elmwood Spa in Toronto, where she applies her storytelling skills to brand strategy and audience engagement.

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When Mary Shanahan entered the Master of Media in Journalism and Communication (MMJC) program at Western University, she envisioned a future in journalism. With a background in English and a deep love for writing, she was drawn to storytelling. However, the MMJC program, which focuses on the foundational skills needed for both the journalism and communications industries, gave her options and opened up new career possibilities that she hadn’t considered.

“Going into the program, I thought I was going to take the journalism route,” Mary recalls. “But I found myself drawn to the communications side and I realized that was where I truly thrived.”

Since graduating in 2022, Mary has built a successful career in marketing. She started at London’s Covent Garden Market before making the move to Toronto, where she now works as a marketing and communications coordinator at Elmwood Spa. In her role, she manages social media, email marketing, website content and media relations, helping to shape the spa’s brand and outreach.

“MMJC enhanced my confidence so that when I entered my role, I felt like I could do this. I do have experience and it's unique. Only a select few of us have done this program and we're going to bring different skills than somebody who's done a different program.“ - Mary Shanahan

Mary credits the MMJC program for equipping her with the skills needed for her current role. “The storytelling courses were particularly impactful,” she says. “Planning a story from start to finish, working under time constraints and understanding audience engagement—those are skills I use every day.”

One defining moment in her MMJC experience came when instructor Jeremy Copeland put students on the spot to tell a story in front of the class.

“I had always dreaded public speaking,” Mary admits. “But that moment helped me realize I could do it. Now, presenting is a huge part of my job.”

She also cherishes the strong sense of community she found in the program. “The small class size allowed for incredible mentorship from professors and lasting friendships with classmates,” she says. “One of my favourite memories was when our class dressed up as Pitbull for Halloween and surprised Jeremy. He definitely hasn’t forgotten it!”

Fun Fact

Mary is part of the "Swiftie" community. During the program she wrote her media law paper on Taylor Swift's battle for ownership of the master copies of her music, exploring the case's impact on the music industry.

Looking back, Mary encourages future MMJC students to embrace the learning process. “You don’t have to have everything figured out from day one,” she says. “MMJC gives you the space to explore different fields and find what excites you. Most importantly, don’t be too hard on yourself.”

As she continues to grow in her marketing career, Mary carries the words of another instructor - Mark Kearney - with her. “He said to our class, ‘If I were to hear from you in five years, it would make me happy to know that you’re successful. But it would be even better if you told me you were happy,’” he recalls.

Mary embodies that idea—her success isn’t just measured by her career achievements, but by the fulfillment she’s found in her journey.

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Profiles in the MMJC Career Success blog are written by students in the Master of Media in Journalism & Communication program, who are enrolled in MMJC 9604 - Professional Writing.