Tan enjoys experience at international English convention over Spring Break
MAGNOLIA - Su Lynn Tan, a junior English major at Southern Arkansas University, attended the Sigma Tau Delta 2018 International Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio, March 21-24.
Last year, she was appointed as student representative to the International Board of Sigma Tau Delta for the Southwestern Region, one of six non-voting student members. As “no stranger to leadership positions,” Tan said she looked forward to fulfilling her duties in 2017-2018.
Sigma Tau Delta is the international English Honors Society. Its goal is to promote interest in literature, foster all aspects of English, and confer distinction for high achievement in English literature in undergraduate, graduate and professional studies.
As a student representative, Tan worked closely with the Regent of the Southwestern Region, contributing to publications, participating in activities and visiting other chapters.
She also sought input on policies and activities. On a national level, she attended board and committee meetings, served on committees (as appointed by the Society President) and represented concerns of students within the region before the Board.
She said the SAU chapter, Epsilon Theta, has focused the past few years on rebuilding the Camden library’s collection. The library burned in 2011, and the chapter has worked to replace the children’s literature, with a new focus on classic literature this past year.
In Cincinnati, Tan helped put together student workshops and was also involved in creating the Student Leadership Escape Room.
“I got to see up close how an organization like ours works,” she said of the experience.
Tan was admitted into SAU as an international student in 2015 and was also admitted into the Honors College. She has been most involved with the International Students Association, where she served as secretary and then vice-president for two years. She was initiated into Kappa Delta Pi, the International Honor Society in Education, in 2017. Her career goal is teaching English.
She as well as her sister, Su-Ann Tan, came to Magnolia from Malaysia. Su-Ann earned her bachelor’s degree at SAU and graduated in August of 2017 with her MBA.
At the convention, another SAU student, Cameron King, was appointed to the Board in Su Lynn’s former position. King is a junior from Magnolia, Arkansas, majoring in human performance/recreation and community service. Tan was appointed King’s assistant.
Also at the convention, Talia Burton, an SAU alumnus and now an administrative specialist in graduate studies at SAU, received honorable mention for a short story, “The Scorpion,” in the Alumni Epsilon category.