Center for Writing alumni—Yefei Jin

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11 Questions for Center for Writing Alums

• Your name: Yefei Jin
• Your email: jinxx125@umn.edu
• When did you work with us?  I worked in Student Writing Support from 2010 to 2012.
• What was your role? writing consultant, front desk/computer lab attendant
• What education and/or occupation(s) have you pursued since working with us? Graduated from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities with majors in Theatre and Asian Languages/Literatures and a minor in Teaching English as a Second Language. After graduation, I've joined an amazing staff at the U of M Office of Admissions, working as an admissions counselor.

Reflections on your center experience:

• Did your work with us influence your educational or occupational choices? If so, how?  My work at the center informed me of the kind of work environment I would be most successful in. My consulting experience further strengthened my passion for working with all students, whether it was providing help on a one-on-one basis or improving their access to education. In my experience, I've also had the fortune to help many non-native speakers of English. The opportunities to sometimes completely change their perspectives on learning the English language were inspiring and revelatory to the career I wish to pursue within education.
• What are the most significant abilities, values, or skills that you developed in your work with us? There are so many skills I've gained and values I've come to cherish in my time at the Writing Center. To provide one example, through interacting with such a diverse range of students, I've really come to be more culturally-aware than I ever was. As each student brought in his or her own life history into a consultation, I often found myself trying to understand their lives and using that knowledge as a foundation for building relationships and reviewing their writing. In this way, I've come to recognize the significance of differences among people and how those differences may facilitate collaboration, not impede it.
• In your personal and professional life today, how do you find yourself using what you learned from working with us? I work with very diverse students on a daily basis. Through what I've learned about relationship building, ranging from cultural sensitivity to body language cues, I've become far more aware of how my actions impacts the individual in front of me. As I seek to present the University of Minnesota in a way that so often resembles the encouraging attitude this Writing Center displays to its students, I can't help but think back to my wonderful memories and learning moments as a consultant. 
• Anything else you want to tell us and your fellow Center alums? One of the best and most supportive working environments ever. Take every day at the center as blessing for you as a consultant working with outstanding peers and for you as a visitor, knowing that every staff member is wholeheartedly committed to your success in becoming a better writer.
• Provide a link to your personal or professional website (if you’d like to): http://admissions.tc.umn.edu/counselors/grmn.html