Advisor of the month: October 2022

What do you enjoy about your role in advising?
I really enjoy building relationships with students. I consider it an absolute honor and a privilege when my students come to me and tell me about their lives. I love getting to know about their career aspirations, their goals, their family, their jobs, etc.

I also really enjoy supporting students through their academic career. It is awesome to watch them grow professionally and see where they go in life. I truly enjoy helping students make course decisions, create academic plans, find second majors, find minors, find research, and find student organizations based on their aspirations.

In what ways have you contributed to advising in your department/area?
When I came to the Psychology Department, I was the only full-time professional advisor and our department had a faculty-advising model. The department has since transitioned to a professional advising model. As a Virginia Tech alum and a first-generation college student, I have been able to bring many insights to our team to assist in building the professional advising model in our department.

I also, with my first-generation background, created Successful Starts Tips that we send out in the First-Year Experience courses. I came to College and I did not know many of the basics that most incoming students know like how to buy books. The Successful Starts Tips cover many of the fundamentals of College to help those who may not know them and as a reminder for those students who may already know the information.

What advice would you give to other professionals who want to a make a difference in the life of their students?
Get to know your students! It is so beneficial to build relationships with them. I will always value the relationships that I had in my undergraduate career; I would not have graduated without that support.