Community Profiles: Shantel Dewald - A TU Alum Who Plants Roots

Growing up, many often wonder “What’s next, what am I going to do once I graduate college?” Well, Shantel Dewald had those same thoughts going through her head until she arrived here at Tiffin University.

Having originally started her undergraduate degree at Heidelberg, she transferred to TU after two years there. In between transferring, she completely changed her major. Music was once her focus, but from there, she declared her major in Strategic and Mass Communication. She now works in that field. This is where Dewald found her place and was welcomed as if she were family.

Looking ahead, Communication was not always Dewald’s plan, but as time progressed, she soon realized it was the right field for her. She is now approaching 5 years of employment in the field of Communications at TU.

At Tiffin, Dewald began working as an intern at the Welcome Center where she was then given the position she had interned under. She loved her job there and it helped her to get her current job. Now, she is a financial aid counselor here at Tiffin where she works amongst two other Tiffin graduates. Here she gets the opportunity to provide students with information no matter the department.

“Going into college, when I was first starting at Heidelberg there was so much that I wasn't told and that would have better helped with my experience and saved me a lot of money. So, I want to be that person for them.”

Having grown up just 15 miles from campus, Dewald had heard of Tiffin University, but it was not until after she transferred that she was deeply moved by their close-knit family-like community. This played a large role in her involvement on campus.

Shortly thereafter, she became involved and eventually sought an internship with the Visit and Event Coordinator at Tiffin. She completed her degree and started full-time in July 2018. She worked there until she came to the financial aid office in 2019.

Dewald’s experience has had a great influence on her and now gives her the opportunity to offer relatability to her students. This plays a big part in Tiffin’s family-like community and culture and has become her favorite part of her job. Dewald even went on to explain a recent experience she had with a student.

“I recently had a student who was very frustrated with the school she was attending and I answered her questions. She continuously stated how she wished she had known this before. She then thanked me over and over for being so helpful. That was very reassuring to hear and was a great example of how I am in the right field of work,” says Shantel Dewald.

Dewald feels offering a sense of relatability to her students is one of the most important aspects of her job. Not only does she help with the logistical side of financial aid, but she also strives to help inform her students about what aid they have received. She even goes as far as informing them of upcoming scholarship opportunities.

Given her prior experiences, she works to please and help students as best as she can so they can have an enjoyable experience here at Tiffin. College is often looked at as a learning experience and she works to help students during their time here at Tiffin.

Later on, Dewald went on to explain the culture here at Tiffin where she reflected on the community as a family. She feels Tiffin offers a very welcoming environment and this adds to a family-like atmosphere.

As the University moves forward, it continues to exemplify a small-town family-like feel around campus, and that contributes to the overall college experience. Tiffin, as a whole, may house two universities, but TU’s community stands out among the others.

Moving ahead, Dewald is planting roots here. She lives less than a mile from campus with her husband and her 7-month-old son, Elliot. She feels this would be nearly impossible without the community at Tiffin University.