Susan Jhin

Susan discovered and reaffirmed her purpose for the next stage of her life thanks to her participation in the Inspired Leadership Initiative (ILI) at the University of Notre Dame! Sure, she already had an inkling of her preferences, but during her first year of ILI, she noticed her heart fill to the brim with joy when accompanying students on their life journeys. Yearning to share more pastoral, career, and life coaching, Susan joined the Campus Ministry team as the Interim Coordinator for the Multicultural Student Ministry. Upon completing this fulfilling ministry opportunity, she transitioned to ND Vision as a coach to help students with their "Story of Grace" presentations, a role she loves. She also enjoys mentoring students through the Executive in Residence program with ND Career Development. In her third year with ILI (admittedly a unique journey!), she is excited to formally help teach Korean to students at Notre Dame.

Susan has dedicated over thirty-five years to promoting Korean culture as a cultural ambassador for South Korea. Passionate about her birth country, she uplifts the Korean American community through various initiatives fostering cross-cultural bridging and understanding, including curating an eight-city touring exhibit on Korean children’s lives in partnership with the Children’s Museum of Houston. Additionally, Susan served as an interpreter and mediator at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, supporting global cultural and diplomatic exchange.

Susan studied at Smith College and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania. She received her MBA from Yale University and completed a two-year Certified Financial Planning program at Rice University. Susan’s pursuits span from international marketing and mentoring college students to curating cultural programs for organizations such as KoreanAmericanStory.org and Asia Society Texas. Susan has served on the Children’s Museum of Houston board for over thirty years, and her legacy continues with the Jhin Family Scholarship Award, which her family lovingly established.

What Susan and her husband, Michael (ILI Cohort 7!), are most proud of is raising their three children—Chas (’14), Jackson (’17), and Lauren (’20), all graduates of Notre Dame—and seeing how they’ve grown to be kind, loving, and compassionate souls. Susan’s passions include learning tai chi, aspiring to become a trained Spiritual Director, and hiking the Camino de Santiago, which she has done six times.