09 Oct Happy Retirement, Susan: A Dedication to Service and Lifelong Learning
For some, a career follows a clear trajectory toward a long-imagined destination. For others, purpose emerges along the way, shaped by unexpected opportunities and the willingness to evolve.
For Associated Students Inc. Director of Corporate Affairs Susan Collins, a career spanning financial services and higher education reflects the latter.
“I could say a lot about Susan’s administrative, organizational, and leadership skills,” said ASI Associate Vice President and Executive Director Dr. Dave Edwards. “But more importantly, I would highlight her unwavering support of each and every student.”
After 10 years with ASI, Collins prepares to retire, leaving behind a legacy of service, leadership and lifelong learning.
Finding Opportunity in the Unexpected
An Orange County native, Collins returned home from college in North Carolina due to financial challenges and feeling unprepared.
At 19, Collins joined SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union, then known as Orange County Teachers Credit Union, eventually rising to supervisor of membership development.
“One of the things about credit unions: service is No. 1. Service is the lifeblood of the organization,” Collins said. “You’re not there for any other purpose than to serve the members that allow you to be there. At ASI, we’re not here to do anything else but to serve the needs of our students in the best way we can in this environment, right? So service is key.”
But this was not the end of Collins’ career exploration. Through a family connection with then-SchoolsFirst CEO Rudy Hanley, Collins secured a vice president position at another credit union, serving a total of 25 years in financial service leadership. It wasn’t long before a new opportunity came her way.
The Power of Saying Yes
Collins decided to finish her bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in management at Hope International University.
One of her highlights: being able to experience college coursework with her son at Fullerton College.
“One day I’m sitting in class and I’m getting myself all ready, and my son walks in,” Collins said. “He goes, ‘What are you doing here?’ And I go, ‘What are you doing here?’
Collins’s commitment to learning carried her through finance, starting her own life insurance company, church work and getting her paralegal license.
Ready for a change, Collins brought her service-oriented mindset to ASI, applying for a coordinator position.
“I thought ‘I’ve always wanted to work in higher education!’” Collins said. “So, I went for it.”
Now, as Collins reflects on her time at ASI, her dedication to service is deeply rooted in her faith.
“If they put something on my headstone, if I have one, it’ll say, ‘Love God, love others,’” Collins said. “And when you do that, you don’t mind serving others.”
The Impact of Showing Up
At ASI, Collin’s work has been integral in supporting corporate leadership and the student government team to ensure effective and smooth processes, working her way up from coordinator to director.
“Susan has been an amazing colleague whose adaptability, curiosity, and eagerness to help students and staff have been a huge benefit to ASI,” said ASI Chief of Organizational Operations Jeff Fehrn. “She is that rare combination of being detail-oriented and compassionate, which has made her a bright star in this organization.”
Collins has helped with the conversion of ASI policy documents from 2016-2018, the resolution establishing the Food Pantry in 2019, the implementation of board management software and the streamlining of student government agendas, minutes and documentation.
“Student Affairs is rooted in the concept of in loco parentis, Latin for ‘in place of the parent,’ emphasizing our responsibility to guide and support students,” Edwards said. “No one has exemplified that more than Susan. She has excelled at her job while ensuring every student has the tools to succeed. That’s what makes her special and why she will be dearly missed.”
Where Service Meets Community
She also had the privilege of participating in the Black Faculty and Staff Association, serving as a mentor for black students through the Ujimaa Mentorship Program and serving at larger events like CSUF Commencement, Spring Concert, All Day ASI, Beyond the Conversation, Pop-Up Pantry events, and more.
“It’s been a blast,” Collins said. “I’ll miss the camaraderie and fun that comes with being a part of ASI.”
Seeing the impact of her work through student success has been among the most rewarding parts of her career.
“There are some careers I know where you can work, work, work and never see what your result ended up being,” Collins said. “With this environment, you can see it. ASI is thriving, ASI is growing, ASI is doing. The accolades will go to the students. The accolades will go to the senior leadership. But every person who puts in time and effort into this organization lends to the success of the organization.”
A Season Well Spent
Reflecting on a career shaped by unexpected opportunities and a willingness to say yes, Collins notes that focusing on what you have in front of you is key to having a fulfilling life.
“You can do anything,” Collins said. “If you have the right heart, you have the right mindset, put your head down and really focus on what’s before you and not look at what you don’t have or what you didn’t get.”
Now, preparing for a peaceful retirement with her husband, Collins looks forward to spending more time with family, learning to rest and enjoying Southern California’s beauty.
“I want to get up one morning, make myself some hot coffee, head down to the beach and just enjoy God’s beauty and nature,” Collins said. “It’s such a blessing that we get to live in California and have that great big expanse right in front of us.”
As Collins closes this chapter and looks toward what comes next, she leaves behind a lesson shaped by her years of serving students and embracing the opportunities before her.
“Sometimes you’re where you are for a reason and a season,” Collins said. “ASI was a season for me. If you have the right heart, the right mindset and focus on: How can I best serve? How can I best participate? How can I best give what I have to give? You’ll succeed.”