Transforming Community & Collaboration
Shana Holman, Pathify’s Vice President of Customer Success, leads a passionate team dedicated to supporting customers, strengthening relationships, championing platform adoption and nurturing a collaborative, resilient culture.
With a wealth of experience in higher education technology — and the added insight of parenting two college students — Shana brings a thoughtful, forward-thinking approach to her work. Her leadership shapes Pathify’s customer experience, blending technology with connection to build authentic communities and connections.
I sat down with Shana to dive into her vision, how Pathify champions community and collaboration and why the student experience is the glue tying it all together. Here’s what she had to say.
Hannah Fitzsimons (HF): What makes community so central to Pathify’s philosophy?
Shana Holman (SH): I love the phrase “together, we go farther and faster” — it perfectly captures how we approach Customer Success at Pathify. For me, community represents leveraging the strength of collective effort and coming together to share, learn and solve problems.
Community drives everything we do for our customers and their students. Our customers repeatedly hear from students that finding community ranks among one of the hardest parts of the college experience. Our mission builds spaces where everyone — customers, students, parents, faculty and staff — feels connected and supported.
HF: Tell us more about Collegium. How does it align with Pathify’s vision for collaboration?
SH: Customers often tell us they’re looking for a place to connect with others facing similar challenges. Sure, our customers share the commonality of choosing Pathify, but the shared goals run much deeper.
Whether attracting new students, improving experiences, embracing new technology or managing limited resources — those shared goals or challenges create a natural space for connection and collaboration.
Collegium, Pathify’s digital customer forum, serves as the heartbeat of our customer community. It’s already the go-to destination for everything our customers need — technical training, support, success stories and best practices — while continuing to grow and evolve. It’s also where we spotlight events, creating incredible opportunities to connect face-to-face and strengthen our shared journey.
HF: What should customers expect from Collegium in 2025?
SH: This year, we’re making it even easier for customers to get the support they need by integrating Salesforce Service Cloud into Collegium. Salesforce Service Cloud gives our team the tools to provide next-level customer support, with features like milestone tracking, custom reports and dashboards — making tracking customer information and outcomes easier and more efficient.
With enhanced insights, our support and account management teams will provide faster, more personalized assistance. These improvements ensure customers spend less time navigating systems and more time focusing on what matters — maximizing their Pathify experience.
What excites me most about our work is blending technical resources with community-driven experiences. Collegium represents more than just a repository — it’s a vibrant space where customers exchange ideas, share stories and explore new ways to use technology. Whether part of a large institution or a smaller campus, Collegium creates networks and support systems connecting and empowering all our customers.
HF: I love hearing Collegium described as a one-stop shop.
SH: It’s true! Much like students turn to Pathify for everything they need, Collegium serves as the go-to place for our customers — offering answers, ideas, solidarity and a bit of inspiration along the way.
HF: You balance supporting customers with the experience of raising two college students. How does parenthood shape your perspective on community and the student experience?
SH: Navigating college as a parent really highlights the complexity and overwhelming nature of the student journey. There’s so much to manage — deadlines, schoolwork, campus life — not to mention all the paperwork. Even with my background in education and technology, I get it. It’s a lot.
Parents and students don’t just want information — they want clarity. They want reassurance they’re on the right track.
Missing a step leads to real consequences — financially, academically and beyond. Scale this across an institution and we see the outcomes we want to avoid — declining progression and completion rates. The current enrollment spike is encouraging but many institutions still struggle to graduate students on time and without overwhelming debt due to missed steps.
As a parent and an ed tech enthusiast, I see firsthand how powerful it becomes when institutions step up to bridge those gaps. Platforms like Pathify — and modules like our Delegate Hub — play a critical role in creating digital spaces where students, admins and families thrive. By creating a stronger customer experience and building a community around that, we help institutions make meaningful impact, ultimately benefiting students by helping them feel supported, informed and confident.
HF: What a great perspective. It sounds like Pathify would’ve been an incredible resource for you as a parent!
SH: Funny story — my Pathify journey actually started as a parent. When my daughter navigated her college decision process, I found myself peering over her shoulder, curious about the systems and technologies she used. I quickly noticed the stark difference between some of the portals she used as an admitted student — some felt clunky and confusing while others proved more user-friendly and genuinely helpful.
As a mom and someone in ed tech, I couldn’t resist digging deeper — that’s when I discovered Pathify powered the seamless, polished platforms. The mission to transform the student experience really spoke to me, both personally and professionally. A few years later, I joined the team to help bring the mission to life. And the rest, as they say, is history!
HF: You’ve highlighted the importance of community and student experience. How do these two elements connect?
SH: Community plays a huge role in student success. Research consistently shows community, connection and a sense of belonging deeply influence retention and overall well-being. When students feel like they belong, they thrive.
In higher ed, there’s immense pressure to improve student outcomes, streamline processes and provide top-notch experiences. Far too often, schools work in silos. Community-driven spaces like Collegium break down these walls, creating environments where everyone learns from each other. Collaboration helps us move faster, innovate better, and ultimately — provide a better student experience.
HF: What makes Pathify’s approach to community-building stand out?
SH: Pathify’s approach to community goes beyond the product — it’s about the ecosystem we build around the platform. We meet with customers daily and the resounding sentiment — and differentiator — is our teams work together to elevate experiences for all users. When digital ecosystems become increasingly complex, Pathify keeps things simple, enjoyable… and impactful.
This collaborative spirit drives the magic — we learn as much from our customers as they do from us. Our mission to empower students and institutions to strengthen connections is reflected in our community, where everyone comes together to grow and make lasting change.
About Shana Holman
Shana Holman leads Pathify’s Customer Success team, driving customer impact across implementation, training, support and expansion efforts. With deep experience as a strategic leader in ed tech, Shana excels at transforming customer experiences. Her relationship-building skills aren’t just reserved for humans — along with her yellow lab, Lily, Shana is training Poppy, the newest puppy addition to her family. Shana enjoys blazing new trails in her home state of Colorado — whether hiking, snowshoeing or, of course, helping Pathify customers modernize and simplify the college experience.
