Advisor of the month: October 2025

What do you enjoy about your role in advising?

I enjoy developing relationships with my students, getting to know them outside of their sport and watching their growth. Students truly do not care how much you know until they know how much you care. I create intentional time in my meetings with students where we can talk about other things in their life rather than just hopping into academics. This allows me to get to know the different layers of students and for them to feel like my office is a safe space where they are always welcome.

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

I helped create and run a Summer Bridge program for incoming freshmen football student-athletes. Summer Bridge helps our students acclimate while they're taking classes in the summer. We are intentional with the programming to make sure students are learning about all resources that are available to them on this campus and how to succeed in the classroom in their first semester and beyond. I am excited to start working on a program that will serve all student-athletes starting in summer 2025!

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

Listen! But more importantly, listen to understand not listen to reply. It's human nature to want to respond in a way that shows you may relate to their problem or respond with ways to help problem solve, but this may not always be what students are looking for. It takes time and practice to force yourself to slow down and listen to everything a student has to say. Sometimes they just want to be heard!