The College Tour at SUU: Tiffany Chin
Posted: January 11, 2022 | Author: Abbie Cochrane | Read Time: 4 minutes
Tiffany Chin was thrilled to be featured in Southern Utah University’s episode of The College Tour, a new national TV series that provides a closer look at the heart of college campuses across the country. Hailing from South Jordan, Utah, Chin recently graduated from SUU with her degree in interdisciplinary studies with emphases in biology and healthcare studies. As a student, she was a peer mentor, also known as an ACE and now, she works for SUU in the Academic Advising Office.
When asked about being featured on The College Tour, Chin admits she was a little nervous when it came to being in front of the camera, however, the people on the show that worked behind the scenes helped ease her nerves.
In her segment of the episode, Chin tells the beginning of her story which began at another university, and how she debated if college was even for her. A first-generation college student, she decided to take a semester off and then start touring campuses all over Utah to find her perfect fit. The moment she stepped foot on campus, she knew SUU was different.
“I was immediately drawn to SUU,” said Chin. “The culture was automatically just way more warm, inviting, and people seemed happy here. It was a lot more personalized, tailored to me. I knew that I could find my place.”
For Chin, SUU not only managed to meet her expectations for a university but surpassed them. While on her campus tour, Chin decided to try and meet with an academic advisor. She was welcomed and quickly got in to meet with an advisor and have a full, detailed conversation, despite not having made an appointment. This encounter helped her get an idea of SUU’s proudest achievement; making students the priority. SUU’s doors are always open to a student in need and each student has a place and is cared about individually.
During her time as a student at SUU, Chin was an ACE and got to experience the other end of SUU’s giving and supportive nature towards its students. ACES, or Assistant Coaches for Excellence and Success, are peer mentors are assigned to incoming freshmen at SUU. Before the student even begins their first semester, their ACE is already reaching out to provide important information about registration or orientation, and by the time the year is in full swing, ACES are a freshman’s first friend on campus. They work in the Nest, a place where students can go to get answers to any and all questions they have about campus and class from an older student who has been in the same position and knows how to help them adjust to college life.
“The biggest takeaway from my time as an ACE is being willing to go the extra mile and loving people exactly as they are. As an ACE, it’s drilled into you that we love our students and we support their success--whatever that might look like for them,” said Chin. “I can tell you firsthand as a peer mentor that it is so much more than connecting freshmen to campus. ACES really are in the business of changing lives. People genuinely care about you here. That’s undeniable.”
Currently, Chin oversees the Leads Program, a sister program to the ACES. Leads work with second-year and transfer students, acting as a resource for anything academic or career related. According to Chin, the program is more centered around career readiness compared to the ACES. However, the programs are similar in their mission; to bring about the success of their students.
To any prospective student, or anyone wondering if college is for them, Chin says, “I’ve been there before. College is hard, that is inevitable. However, I personally feel that SUU provides the resources, people, and support so that anyone can make it. If you want to make it through, I have no doubt that you can do it here. ”
SUU’s episode of The College Tour premiered August 19, 2021, and is available for viewing on YouTube, Amazon Prime and The College Tour website. The episode features ten students from different fields and majors offered on campus. Each student gives their own experience about their time on campus and their own story about the university. Learn more about The College Tour students.
Tags: College of Health Sciences The College Tour Interdisciplinary Studies
