Building connections
06/23/2025
Emily (Huxman ’17) Hilty intends to create meaningful and engaging events to foster community.
Planning begins for Homecoming 2025
Emily (Huxman '17) Hilty, will serve as development and alumni relations coordinator at Bluffton University. In this role, Hilty will work with the Bluffton University alumni network to strengthen connections between alumni, campus and the wider Bluffton community.
“I wanted to get involved […] to help continue to build relationships with our wonderful community both near and far,” said Hilty.
Receiving her bachelor’s in marketing and communications from Bluffton, Hilty worked in Columbus, Ohio, as an event planner after college before going on to earn her masters of elementary education from Western Governors University in 2020. Hilty began teaching at Ohio Connections Academy and recently celebrated her fifth year of teaching.
Hilty and her husband, Cory Hilty ’14, returned to Bluffton after the birth of their first child. Drawn back to the sense of belonging that had first attracted her to the university and town, Hilty is eager to foster that connection.
“After moving to a different country when I was 16, I yearned for a place to call home and I felt such belonging at Bluffton University [as a student],” she said. “Now as an adult, I have the same wonderful sense of belonging here in the village of Bluffton and am excited about the opportunity to create events that hopefully bring that same sense of connection and belonging.”
A passion for Mennonite higher education is a familial calling for Hilty. Her grandfather, Harold Schultz, served as president of Bethel College for 20 years, and her mother, Susan Schultz Huxman, was the president of Conrad Grebel University College, and, most recently, the president at Eastern Mennonite University, retiring this fall.
“I am excited to embark on my own journey to support my alma mater by creating meaningful and engaging events for our community,” she expressed.
Hilty’s work at Bluffton has already begun as she plans for this year’s Homecoming celebration and other opportunities for engagement. Her hopes to strength the relationships between the village and university speak to the enduring Bluffton value of community.
“With so many ties between campus and the community, I wanted to use my background in event planning to create opportunities for people to connect,” Hilty stated.
When not teaching or working on the next alumni event, Hilty enjoys spending family time with her husband, three young children and many pets. She’s a certified yoga teacher and teaches classes in the community. Hilty is also active in her church community, First Mennonite Church, Bluffton, Ohio.
Through her work she affirms the importance of blending the campus and wider community together through strong relationships, fun and support. “Supporting and connecting with each other is part of what makes this vibrant small town thrive.”
