Student Spotlight: Shirley Yang, ELLS Marketing Coordinator

Shirley Yang, Marketing & Outreach
Assistant Coordinator for English
Language Lerner Services

If you ask Shirley Yang what she loves about JMU, she is quick to say that she loves her friends, the organizations she belongs to, and her College of Business courses. For many of these positive college experiences, she credits the English Language Learner Services (ELLS), which is a comprehensive language support resource for multilingual students. Over the past few years, Shirley transformed from a client into a leader and student employee for the office. She currently serves as the Marketing and Outreach Assistant Coordinator, raising awareness and promoting services and programs offered by the ELLS office for international students at JMU. Her strong ties to the International Student Association and the Chinese Student Scholars Association benefit both the organizations and ELLS as she continues to build connections and promote the resources to multilingual students.

Adjusting to college can be a daunting task as an international student, but Shirley was not afraid to ask for guidance. She began her education in China and then spent a year and a half studying and learning English in Australia prior to attending JMU. During her first semester, she experienced culture shock and felt overwhelmed by college life. Shirley’s professor suggested utilizing the ELLS services after submitting one of her English papers. When she visited the office, she immediately made a connection with Kristen Shrewsbury, Coordinator of ELLS, and had the opportunity to practice her writing and speaking skills. The service did not just improve her academic work; Shirley was also able to gain cultural understanding, create friendships, and attend workshops. After working with ELLS, she received an A- in her English class.

 Last year Shirley was hired by ELLS as the International Student Liaison. In this position, she identified College of Business students that could benefit from the service. She also coordinated and assisted other employees in planning topics for workshops, including the English Conversation Club. This fall Shirley has been very career focused, balancing her time between Marketing courses and also working as the Marketing and Outreach Assistant Coordinator for ELLS. She attends strategic campus events and advertises the service to clubs and organizations. Shirley is the first marketing student employee for the office which has been extremely beneficial for ELLS due to the expansion of programs, class credit offered, and increased visibility in the new Student Success Center location.

Shirley Yang’s journey at JMU has been strongly influenced through her experiences with the English Language Learner Services. From the outside looking in, ELLS might seem like it is a resource that assists multilingual students with just their academic work. However, Shirley’s experiences portray that it is much more than that. It instills confidence in both social and academic endeavors. ELLS also helps students become more integrated into JMU life through building friendships and cultural understanding. Kristen Shrewsbury states, “Shirley came in ready to take in the full JMU experience. She was in my office within a week of arriving on campus and actively used the services from tutoring to the programs. It has been a real pleasure to support Shirley as she acquires greater and greater facility with English. With her high level of involvement and dedication to helping other students succeed at JMU, bringing her on board as a student employee was a perfect fit. Now she works alongside me to encourage and support other students as they grow their academic English abilities. I am so proud to call her my colleague!”

 For more information about how the English Language Learner Services can transform your college experience, visit: http://www.jmu.edu/ells/