Christine Su

I currently serve College of San Mateo in two roles.  

First, I am the Program Services Coordinator for Career Services, which is part of the Counseling Division. We have an awesome team that works hard to help students figure out their academic and career pathways, and I am very fortunate to contribute to this work. I find this position fulfilling because I, too, was an “undecided” student as an undergraduate. I had no idea what I wanted to do, or even how to figure out what I wanted to do, so it is fascinating that I now help students in making those decisions. I love this role. I know how that undecided (or as I like to say, exploring) student feels, and realize how much more rewarding my own college journey would have been if I had someone to support me as I navigated fears and challenges, and to celebrate my joys and successes. Mine was a very lonely journey, and I want CSM students to know – you are not alone!

Second, I am the Program Services Coordinator for a new grant here at CSM – the Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI) grant.  Undertaking this position is such a blessing because it combines something that is important to me personally--that is, supporting and honoring Asian American and Pacific Islander students’ culture and identity—with a professional role.  For many years I have worked at the grass-roots level to support Southeast Asian American communities – specifically Cambodian and Lao Americans – who have historically been underserved and face many obstacles that go unrecognized, even by the broader Asian American Pacific Islander community. I serve on the Board of Directors for the Center for Lao Studies and the Southeast Asian Community Center in San Francisco, and have dedicated much of my life to advocating for Southeast Asian Americans’ needs and supporting their creative efforts.

The goals of the grant include creating an accessible and welcoming space that acknowledges the various AAPI heritages and experiences of our CSM community, and prioritizes social-emotional health and wellness as well as academic success and career readiness. The grant came along right as the AAPI community started to face some of its greatest challenges, including the reemergence of an anti-AAPI hate atmosphere during the pandemic that continues to plague U.S. society.  Students, staff, and faculty, especially (but not exclusively) those from underrepresented AAPI groups need to lean on each other, now more than ever.

My strength is programming, so now in addition to internship fairs and resume workshops, I create ANAPISI-related projects: events, activities, meetings, conferences – to name a few. It is an exciting opportunity!

Professional Accomplishments/Achievements

• Bachelor of Arts degree, American Studies and Gender Studies, University of Notre Dame (Indiana)
• Master of Arts degree, American Culture Studies, Bowling Green State University (Ohio)
• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) degree, American Studies (with a focus on the Southeast Asian diaspora), University of Hawaii at Manoa

Recent Publications

• Su, Christine: Kroeung: Cambodian Cooking with Chef T (2022)
• Su, Christine: Voices of a New Generation: Cambodian Americans in the Creative Arts (2021)