Advisor of the month: January 2024

What do you enjoy about your role in advising?
I enjoy that my advising job permits me the opportunity to work with an amazing team of people who are also passionate about helping students succeed. College students (especially the first-year students I work with) are in a crucial time in their lives. I know that the discussions we have with them have the ability to have a positive impact on the people they become because I was fortune to have great advisors (who went on to become mentors) when I was a student here. It's a privilege (and a big responsibility) to do what we do, and I don't take it lightly. I love that my colleagues come from a variety of different backgrounds and fields, and we are very good at collaborating on various projects that let us utilize our individual strengths to benefit our students. I have never been a part of a team like this before, and it is truly special.

In what ways have you contributed to advising in your department/area?
I have used my background in communication and media to redesign our weekly advising minute videos, to improve the accessibility of our advising materials, and to create tutorials for orientation and registration. I'm also working on helping our college become more informed about the math readiness issues by studying for and taking the ALEKS placement exam, auditing calculus and establishing constructive relationships with folks in the math department.

What advice would you give to other professionals who want to a make a difference in the life of their students?
I would tell them that it's not easy, and there will be times when you're exhausted and you want to give up. Do whatever you have to do to reset and remember why you got into this profession in the first place. The students need you, so don't stop trying and fighting for them.