He enjoys cooking and grilling, but this laid-back academic counselor in the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology Advising and Career Development Center is also cooking up student success.

Terence Wan has worked at Fresno State for the past seven years. He started as an adviser with the Athletics Department, then moved over to the Jordan College in 2015.

"The thing I like most about my job is assisting students in meeting their educational and professional goals," he said. "I also like that for our work functions we grill a lot, and the food is good."

Wan became interested in advising because one of his best friends was in the field and would talk about helping students. It seemed like a good fit for him.

"As I have progressed in this field, developing relationships with students and watching them succeed is very fulfilling," he said.

In 2015, the Jordan College had just decided to start an advising center. When Wan was selected — along with his colleague Tahler Caldera — to help build and develop the center from the ground up, he knew it would be a challenge.

"To see where we started, in a wet lab, to our center being an integral part of the college has been one of the best things I have contributed professionally at any job," he said.

Wan earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Irvine in 2005 and his master’s degree from the University of San Francisco in 2008.

This past year, Wan was fortunate enough to be part of the inaugural cohort of the President’s Leadership Academy. That experience led to other opportunities. He has since joined the Faculty and Staff Mentor Program and was chosen to be part of one of the 10 Bold Ideas CAIFE teams for the 2018-19 academic year.

When not at work, Wan enjoys spending time with family and friends, especially going to Disneyland and the zoo.

He also loves sports, as a fan of the San Francisco Giants, San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Lakers.

Perhaps inspired by his fondness for sports, Wan has an unusual hobby — he has a large sneaker collection and has been collecting the shoes for over 10 years now.

Not coincidentally, he has been married to wife, Peggy, for 10 years, too.

Wan has a daughter, Peyton, 4, a son, Paxton, four months, and a fur baby, Khloe, a border collie mix.