Staff Profile
Susan Burns Chong
Late one night, after moving to Maine, Susan Burns Chong received a phone call from one of the young people with whom she had started a social action group several years before in New Jersey. The young man said, "Hey, I get it now. I know what you're trying to do. My life is worth something!"
Helping people to understand and value their own life experiences, however difficult, has been a passion for Susan. She was first drawn to working with vulnerable populations while studying sociology and human services at Villanova University in Pennsylvania. In 1999, Susan earned her Master's in Social Work from Rutgers University in New Jersey, where she learned about the power of individuals and communities using their experiences to create positive, lasting change.