Sinclair is welcoming a new coordinator of Student and Community Engagement, Tristan Chaput.
Chaput was a graduate intern at Sinclair in 2016.
She calls herself a New Englander, as she was born in Massachusetts and after living there for a couple years, moved to New Hampshire where she lived for 15 years.
During her high school years her dad got a new job that brought her family to Ohio and she graduated in Mason, Ohio. From there, she obtained her bachelor’s degree in Educational Studies from Mount St. Joseph University.
Chaput was very involved on campus during her years in college. She was a part of the campus activities board and says that is a big factor in why she began to enjoy student engagement. She was also a resident assistant and dispatched for campus police, amongst many other activities.
It was this engagement that lead her to find her passion, and when she realized she could be a part of campus activities as a job, her heart was set.
Chaput then went on to acquire her Master’s degree in student affairs administration and higher education, or SAAHE, from Ball State University. She was also extremely involved on campus during her time there.
Before she came to Sinclair, she had a job at a college in Massachusetts working with the alumni and friends network, where she arranged activities for alumni on campus. When she got the job at Sinclair she was very excited and made the move back to Ohio with her husband.
Chaput spoke about her experience starting out with the Sinclair Student and Community Engagement office:
“I am on an incredible team. Everyone is genuinely interested in how your day has been, we are a family here in this office and that is an incredible environment to be in,” Chaput said.
She has a strong desire to get students involved in activities they enjoy and make them aware of all the opportunities Sinclair has to offer. She claims that when students are engaged in college there are so many doors that open for them, such as internships and job opportunities.
Being engaged also allows students to create stronger relationships with the faculty and understand them for who they are outside of school.
Chaput says she really loves her job, and spoke about her motivations and what drives her in her work:
“You are watching students grow… you see students that might not otherwise be involved really find their purpose and their sense of self through a club or organization, and that was so powerful for me in my personal journey that I loved being able to provide that opportunity to other people. It is my way of giving back.”
She has a strong desire to be connected with students and faculty at Sinclair and urges anyone who may be interested in meeting her to stop by her office or make arrangements to meet somewhere else on campus.
She welcomes feedback and wants to make sure the programs that are going on are relevant and exciting. Chaput is very happy to be at Sinclair and aspires a to be a big part of life on campus.
Kali Macklin
Staff Writer