Helping Students Belong

“Working with young students who are still in the process of deciding what they’re planning on doing in the future and what they want out of life is the most enjoyable part of my job,” says Director of Undergraduate Admissions Thomas Shea (M.S. ’21).

Shea himself kept an open mind about what industry would be a good fit for him. After working for years in hospitality services, he made the leap to join New York Tech’s Department of Enrollment Management in 2017 as an assistant director of undergraduate admissions. By 2022, he was elevated to senior associate director and received his director of undergraduate admissions title in December 2023. Family-oriented inside and outside of the workplace, Shea quickly found a second home in New York Tech, and he works tirelessly to make the university feel like home for others.

“Hearing that students are genuinely enjoying their time at New York Tech and successfully working toward their goals is incredibly rewarding,” he says. “To me, that’s what my job is really all about.”

In his position, Shea works with the department’s transfer and evaluations and undergraduate international teams. He also assists in recruitment planning, managing domestic undergraduate admissions, setting annual enrollment goals, and, most importantly, reassuring students that their decision to pursue higher education at New York Tech is the right choice for them and their academic and career goals.

As someone who remembers what a complicated and stressful time the transition from high school to college can be, Shea makes it a point to provide prospective and current students with practical advice and remind them that while deciding their future can be an arduous process, they aren’t alone in seeing it through.

“The college application process is a culmination of all the hard work high school students have done to get to this point,” Shea says. “This should be an exciting time, but I see far too many students putting too much stress on themselves and taking the joy out of what should be a big step in their lives.”

Hoping to put that joy back into the college-selection process, Shea aims to be a source of transparency when speaking with prospective students and their families. Emphasizing the career-oriented, hands-on nature of New York Tech’s degree programs, he prioritizes fully informing visitors of the ways the university helps students build skillsets necessary for success in their future field.

A movie buff, comic reader, self-proclaimed die-hard New York Islanders fan, and hockey player himself, Shea recognizes the importance of indulging in hobbies and passions. He tries to impart this same energy on the students he speaks with, encouraging them to find what they love and get involved. 

“While the focus in college should be on academics, there is a lot of growing up and learning to be done outside of the classroom as well,” says Shea, who advises current students to participate in as much as possible on campus and use every available resource to reap all the benefits New York Tech has to offer. “There are endless amounts of opportunities for our students, and these experiences will help them to mature, make friends and memories, and hone their skills all at the same time.”