Chrystal Teran

Nursing Major
Transferred from Hunter College

Chrystal seems to have taken to heart the College of Nursing and Public Health’s emphasis on leadership and brought it to her term as transfer senator.

She belongs to the Student Nurses Association, International Students Society and Tau Sigma transfer student honors society and became transfer senator in the Spring 2013 Student Government Association (SGA) elections.

“The reputable nursing program is the decisive factor that drew me to Adelphi, in addition to the many scholarship and leadership opportunities,” said Chrystal, who came from Hunter College.

Jennifer Hunker, associate director with the Center for Student Involvement, proved especially helpful in Chrystal’s smooth transition. She not only helped her assimilate into the Adelphi community, Chrystal said, but also “encouraged me to become a member of student government.”

In her SGA role, Chrystal said, “The main issue was to get transfer students more involved on campus and more informed about the school.” She explained, “Many transfers do not assimilate because most of them are not traditional students. Many don’t live on campus; they have a job, are married or have kids. They simply attend classes and leave without ever knowing the many opportunities Adelphi offers. [Others] are too intimidated to get involved or ask for help.”

As transfer senator, Chrystal said she supported making Transfer Transition more like a mentorship than a lecture “by having more students involved to share their Adelphi experiences. The biggest idea is creation of the Transfer Ambassador program,” she said, to assist transfers as the Commuter Assistant Program does for commuter students.

The four ambassadors began assisting during the recent Transfer Transition Days and other events. The premise behind this program is to “have designated people who are relatable to transfer students as a transfer student themselves,” she explained. “They share their experiences and wisdom in a more informal setting.”

Adelphi’s Transfer Initiatives Committee has talked about an ambassador program for several years, Ms. Hunker said, adding that she included Chrystal “throughout the process to let her know what was going on and to see if she felt it was something that would be beneficial, which she did.”

In addition, Chrystal sought suggestions to attract more transfers to the monthly transfer meetings, where they would learn about internships, reduced-price movie tickets and more.

Using her own transfer experience as an example, Chrystal advises prospective transfers, “It is better to leap than to sit idly at another institution. I left my campus job, friends and proximity to home to transfer because my career development was more important.”

After her expected May 2015 graduation, Chrystal said, “I will be continuing my education to become either a nurse practitioner or nurse anesthesiologist. I want to work in a hospital setting where I can apply all my skills and work in a challenging environment.”