Coordinator for Leadership and Diversity & Inclusion is a Go-To Resource for First-Generation Students

The lifeblood of the University of New Haven are the faculty and staff members who dedicate their lives to helping our students reach their goals. Periodically, we’ll introduce you to a member of the staff so you can learn more about them – beyond their day-to-day work.

Next up is Timothy Prince, coordinator for leadership and diversity & inclusion. He enjoys working closely with the University’s Center for Student Engagement, Leadership, and Orientation (CSELO) and the Myatt Center for Diversity & Inclusion.

Renée Chmiel: Where did you grow up?
Timothy Prince: I grew up in Flatbush, Brooklyn, actually, in a town also referred to as “Little Haiti.” My street, Farragut Road, was exceptionally unique because I lived in between “Little Haiti” and the campus of Brooklyn College, which is part of the City University of New York system, also known as CUNY. However, the surrounding area around campus was mostly occupied by Jamaicans, which is how my family managed to find the neighborhood.

RC: What organizations or causes are you passionate about?
TP: In high school, I was heavily involved with a nonprofit organization called Girls for Gender Equity which is an organization that is based in Brooklyn, New York, started by a Black feminist. It is dedicated to strengthening local communities by creating opportunities for young women and girls to live self-determined lives. This organization was my first taste of learning things such as gender identity/gender expression, having some of those conversations about health and wellness as underrepresented students, and discovering how that can play a role in our mental health. That organization actually sparked my interest in diversity, equity, and inclusion work in educational settings.

RC: What about the new academic year are you most looking forward to?
TP: I am so excited to start my master’s program in higher education and student affairs at Sacred Heart University. As an undergrad student at the University of Bridgeport, I had so many opportunities to get involved in the student affairs world, and I think working at the University of New Haven for eight months before officially starting a master’s program was really beneficial to my development and long-term success in higher education and in student affairs as a field.

RC: What’s your favorite way to spend a day off?
TP: My favorite way to spend a day off is actually back at my alma mater. As an alum, I am still very well connected to many things that go on at the University of Bridgeport, so going back and visiting from time to time actually feels very similar to visiting home.

RC: If you didn’t work in higher education, what do you think you would be doing?
TP: If I didn’t work in higher education, I most likely would be in the social work field. As a human services & psychology major, I was headed in that direction before the education field found me, mainly because of my passion to want to help people.

RC: Please tell us three fun facts about you!
TP: Three fun facts about me are that I am a first-generation student, I am the youngest professional in the Student Affairs Division at the University of New Haven, and I am actually the oldest child in my family. I am the only boy, and I have a younger sister.

RC: What do you enjoy the most about your role at the University of New Haven?
TP: The most rewarding thing about my role at the University is being the only professional to work between two departments. As the coordinator for leadership and diversity & inclusion, I split my work between the Center for Student Engagement, Leadership, and Orientation (CSELO) and the Myatt Center for Diversity & Inclusion. Coming to this University as a professional was so exciting because a lot of my undergrad involvement and experience was between so many various departments and aspects of the university overall. Being able to pursue both of those passions as a professional was so exciting, and it was an opportunity I just had to jump on.