Advisor of the month: July 2025

What do you enjoy about your role in advising?

The thing I enjoy most about being an academic advisor is being able to support my students. When I was a student at Virginia Tech, I needed a lot of help and guidance to succeed. As a first-generation student from Appalachia from a low-income family, I felt lost and out of place. But my academic advisors and mentors at Virginia Tech really supported, nurtured, and pushed me throughout my time here. I love being able to build similar relationships with my students and seeing them succeed.

In what ways have you contributed to advising in your department/area?

Within the General Engineering Advising Team I have been responsible for our ROTC Plan of Study Workshops (coordinating the information and plan of study materials for our nearly 200 ROTC students in GE), Engineering Success Skills virtual modules, and our academic planning workshop for our general GE student population. Currently I serve in a three-year role as our General Engineering Advising Coordinator.

What advice would you give to other professionals who want to make a difference in the life of their students?

Let your guard down and be yourself! Our students truly appreciate getting to know their academic advisor and feeling like they're making genuine connections with us. As advisors, we're one of the main connections students have with Virginia Tech and their department, being my authentic self has allowed me to build stronger partnerships with my students and goes a long way in helping my students feel supported.