The tapping of pencils and the hum of a projector were the soundtrack of Emil Chen’s summers as a teaching assistant while visiting his parents’ home country of Taiwan. Now, as he prepares for his first year at Trinity, Chen '30 is looking to continue his passion for tutoring in his academic pursuits.
Growing up, Chen often spent long spells staying in Taiwan. When Chen was 14, he visited a local middle school to see if they needed any extra tutor services.
“Coincidentally, the school happened to get a foreign teacher who didn’t speak any Mandarin, so I offered to help him translate class materials and with classroom management,” Chen says. After spending a few years volunteering to tutor, the school offered to start paying him to teach a couple of English classes in their summer camp program.
For Chen, the most rewarding part of being a teaching assistant is watching his students grow and improve. “Taiwan’s university application system has a minimum score requirement to apply to more prestigious schools, so it’s really cool when my students get into their dream universities,” he says. “I plan on continuing my tutoring sessions online as I start university.”
When it came time for Chen to start thinking about his own dream university, he became drawn to Trinity for its liberal arts curriculum, small class sizes, and academics. Chen intends to major in finance and minor in education. He believes the skills he will receive from both areas of study will allow him to pursue his passion for education and achieve his postgraduate goals.
“I’ve always thought of starting a nonprofit that focuses on education and mental health in Taiwan. There isn’t a lot of awareness there about neurodivergency and learning disabilities, so I want to change that,” he says.
Besides academics, Chen is excited to discover all the extracurricular and social activities awaiting him at Trinity. Before the school year even started, Chen participated in the Plunge, an immersion program allowing incoming first-year students to move in early, volunteer within the San Antonio community, and make early connections on campus.
“I really enjoyed the Plunge. I got to meet so many new people, and it was an amazing way to get involved in the community,” he says. “I want to do more volunteering. I feel like it will help me get more immersed in the city and experience more than just the touristy parts.”
Chen is also excited for how Trinity’s liberal arts curriculum will allow him to explore academic opportunities outside of his major and minor disciplines. He is interested in taking political science classes to delve more into theory, and he wants to take Chinese to improve on the Mandarin he already speaks at home.
Whether he is improving his own knowledge or helping his students expand on theirs, Chen is always looking for the next opportunity to foster endless curiosity.