HoC: Samantha Tseng
Humans of Chaffey
Photo of Samantha Tseng
Chaffey College is frequently occupied by numerous individuals that each hold different beliefs, characteristics and points of view. While each and every student and staff member at Chaffey stands out from one another, every individual at the campus matters in contributing to the school’s intention of providing and gaining educational and social growth, experience and opportunity. One particular individual who qualifies in this case is English tutor Samantha Tseng.
Before working as an English tutor at Chaffey, Tseng originally began studying for an English major at University of California, Riverside and in graduate school.
"I always liked reading when I was little, but in community college, I did try other majors as well,” she explained in regard to her early studies, “because… it is a good time to see what you want to do, and I thought that was important, as well.”
During one semester in community college, for instance, Tseng considered trying to study psychology, but after having to read journals and texts connected with psychology, she thought that it would be more appropriate for herself to read whatever she wants to read. Thus, she decided instead to study for English.
During her time in grad school, Tseng also worked at a nearby preschool, since it was the closest place where she could work for money. Even though she enjoyed her time working with young children at that preschool, she primarily desired to have a job that best applied with her major.
“I did not study child development. Part of me being at that job was because I was in grad school, so I still needed to make money,” she stated. “So I just worked there for a little bit, but I just wanted to start work doing something that dealt with my degree.”
The primary reason Tseng majored in English was because of how it enabled her to explore her interests and passions through reading and writing.
“[W]hen I was younger, trying to give myself a voice was a little bit harder,” she stated. “When you write something, you are presenting either a story or an argument, and you want to make it clear for whoever is reading it, your audience; and I feel like that is the same way individually. Whatever I say, I am conveying who I am; and I want to make that clear, too.”
Another aspect in English that Tseng enjoys very much is the element of argumentation.
“I kind of like to argue. I like being right,” she explained. “So having opportunities like writing essays [allow me] to tell my position and why I am right about this position.”
Tseng, however, especially admires how English also holds a major emphasis on “analyzing literature based off of other disciplines,” something she spent her time experiencing and learning about during her time working for her English degree. Based on her experiences, English manages to provide a diversity of studies, philosophies, and ideas for many to explore and learn much from, including — but not limited to — psychology, sociology, politics, [and] history, just to inform a deeper understanding.
“So, instead of like ‘What does red mean here?’, it is like ‘What is the political situation here? How is it affecting everyone?’ or ‘What does this ghost mean psychologically?’,” she described. “So I thought it was well-rounded… not only in terms of reading, but also learn[ing] from other disciplines.”
The diversity of studies and disciplines incorporated in English can also apply with learning about other people, along with their interests and ways of perceiving particular matters. Through in-class discussions and other educational means of social interactivity and communication, Tseng gained an even broader and more open understanding of different types of people throughout the world.
“We all live the same life — we all are born, we live, and then we die — but we all experience it in different ways,” she stated, “so I think it was just really enriching to hear other people put in their ideas of what they thought about something, and it just made me more informed.”
These experiences from studying English strongly apply with Tseng’s progress and contributions to Chaffey as an English tutor, based on how she helps students learn about and improve on certain assignments and projects in English. Through providing advice and assistance to students on how to work well in various aspects of English — from avoiding and fixing grammatical errors to reading books in a consistent and focused manner — Tseng proves herself as a reliable source of help for students aiming towards majoring in English.
However, Tseng’s job as an English tutor never comes without any difficulties and struggles. One such issue involves the occasional situation in which a student would ask Tseng to do his or her work, even though tutors at Chaffey are not intended to accomplish the assignments that some students expect them to help work on themselves; even when is made clear to those particular students, Tseng remarked, they sometimes never take the information too well.
“They are not going to be outright rude about it, but you can tell they are not happy with that response, either,” Tseng explained, “but that does not happen very often, and when it does, my supervisors are really good at backing me up and they understand.”
On the other hand, Tseng has managed to learn to manage well with certain interactions between herself and students in need of assistance, especially through proper training and preparation for the job.
This would be prominent when it comes to interacting with and providing assistance to students with disabilities. For Tseng, because people “are so used to able-bodied, able-minded interactions,” there can be difficulties prominent in socially connecting with those who may not hold these types of benefits.
“You have got to be aware of it, and I do not expect them to tell me… the specifics to their disability, but I do have to figure out how to approach it in a sensitive manner, but also in a way that they understand,” she stated. “It was definitely me recognizing that that was a population that I do not have a lot of experience with, so I was really glad that we also got trained… and that a couple of people that I know also gave me their input, as well, [on] how I can be better at that.”
All in all, it is safe to argue that Tseng qualifies as an exceptional individual at Chaffey. While she may hold certain qualities and interests that make her stand out in a crowd, she also works hard in connecting and interacting well with others, especially in the field of English.