Shin was born in South Korea and emigrated to Canada when she was 11 years old. Around her 16th birthday she was hospitalised for a serious health crisis attributed to leukemia[5][6] or aplastic anaemia.[7] According to Shin, the experience made her a passionate advocate for Canada's health care system.[5]
Two months after her 16th birthday, Shin was awarded $400 by the City of Surrey, British Columbia, as part of its inaugural Youth Recognition Awards.[8] As a child, Shin had volunteered for the Canadian Red Cross Society, Greenpeace, the Multicultural Society of B.C. and others.[9][10]
Shin later decided that she preferred teaching over conventional medical practice[12] and chose not complete the residency necessary to gain a license to practice medicine in British Columbia.[12][14]
Shin's intention to seek the Burnaby-LougheedNDP nomination under the party leadership of Adrian Dix was announced in May 2012.[17][18] Shin's competitor for the nomination was Craig Langston.[19] Shin won the nomination in November 2012, ahead of the 2013 provincial election.[20]
During the campaign, Shin faced allegations that she had misrepresented her educational credentials in her campaign materials, "Linked-in profile, a B.C. Institute of Technology biography, and in various interviews".[21] She quickly corrected the misunderstandings and clarified that they were not intentional.[12]
In 2013, reports surfaced of a derogatory statement Shin made against Chinese Canadians in 2002, when she was 21. Shin subsequently apologized.[22]
Shin won 44.26% of the vote, defeating BC Liberal candidate Ken Kramer who had replaced retiring Harry Bloy who had held the riding for 12 years.[1] Confusion surrounding Shin's credentials, her campaign, and controversy surrounding the BC Conservative Candidate Christine Clark earned Shin the title of 2013 Newsmaker of the Year from the Burnaby Now.[23]
While in office, Shin was assigned several portfolios and roles within the Shadow Cabinet including: Lead Spokesperson for Small Business,[24] the deputy spokesperson for Trade, Immigration, and Multiculturalism,[25] the deputy spokesperson role for International Trade, Asia Pacific Strategy, Multiculturalism, Immigration, Intergovernmental Relations, the deputy spokesperson role for Tourism, and Arts and Culture,[24] and served on the Select Standing Committee for Health, and the select Standing Committee for Finance & Government Services.[4]
Shin's first motion was a private member's bill to permit electronic petitions from the public to be accepted by the legislature.[26] The bill was designed to enhance petitioning with increased accessibility and efficiency.[27] Shin later introduced Bill M-215, the Business Practices and Consumer Protection (Money Transfers) Amendment Act which sought to cap the fees a money broker can charge for international money transactions.[28]
In late 2016 Shin announced that she would not run for re-election.[29] The BC NDP nominated Katrina Chen, a Burnaby school board trustee who subsequently defeated the BC Liberal candidate Steve Darling.[30]
Career after politics
After the 2017 BC Provincial election, Shin returned to Vancouver Community College as Dean of Student Development, responsible for the strategic advancement and operational management of student service departments.[31] In 2019, Shin was promoted to Associate Vice-President of Student Success at VCC, adding new mandates for Indigenous Education & Community Engagement, Student Wellness, Career Development, and Strategic Enrollment Management at the institution.[32]
In 2020, Shin completed a Master of Education degree at Simon Fraser University.[32] As of 2020, Shin is presently conducting Ph.D studies at the University of Toronto in Leadership, Higher & Adult Education.
In addition to her current academic roles at VCC and studies at the University of Toronto, Shin is also on the Board of the DIVERSEcity Society, and as the legacy ambassador for the BC Children's Hospital Foundation.[32]
In 2021 Shin was appointed Vice-President, Students & Community Development at Vancouver Community College.[2][3] Shin was also named as one of the recipients of the BC Achievement Community Award that recognizes the contributions of extraordinary British Columbians by BC Premier John Horgan in that same year.[34]
