Advisor of the month: September 2024

What do you enjoy about your role in advising?
I have experience in both teaching and advising at VT, and what I love about advising is the ability to get to know students without the barrier of grades. I feel that, without the pressure of grades looming in the back of students’ minds, they are more willing to share uncertainties and insecurities, or to just ask more questions - - and that’s when advising can truly begin.

As a VT Math alum myself, I very much enjoy working with students who are navigating the same degree program that I once did. I get to stay connected to the mathematics that I have always loved through the student’s enthusiasm when they share stories and information about their courses. It’s a great point of connection with my advisees and it’s humbling to then help guide students in their own choices as they figure out what they enjoy about mathematics.

At the end of the day, I hope that I’ve helped to make a student’s college experience even just a little bit better. Maybe I’ve given them a resource that has helped to navigate a particular situation or I have connected them with a faculty member who they will one day get a letter of recommendation from. Maybe I’ve helped them make a plan b, c, and d and when those plans are needed, they’re comforted by the fact that they already have backup plans ready to execute. Maybe it’s just being there to support their goals and listen. I really enjoy the variety that comes with advising. No two students are the same, and no two advising interactions are ever the same.

In what ways have you contributed to advising in your department/area?
I am the Math Department’s first-ever Undergraduate Advising Coordinator. Over the past several years in this role, I have worked to create structure, documentation, and consistency in our department’s advising. I have helped to increase communication about advising-related matters within the department and with students through the development of a departmental advising website, a monthly advising newsletter, and consistent email communication. I have led a restructuring of department’s advising twice, each time making great improvements for both advisors and students. We now have a team-oriented mindset among our advisors and we share ideas and ask questions among the team almost daily. I’m proud to be a part of our advising team and I look forward to seeing the ways we’ll grow and evolve in our advising and support for our students.

What advice would you give to other professionals who want to a make a difference in the life of their students?
Listen. Ask questions. Then listen some more. And of course, be as knowledgeable as possible about your major and the abundance of resources that our campus and community have to offer. Just like we tell our students - - there’s always something to learn!