Melanie Sontheimer

College: College of Science
Years as an academic advisor: 2 going on 3 years!
Why did you choose to be an academic advisor? I chose to be an academic advisor as the chance to connect with individual students in specific majors on a more personal level as they are navigating their academic journeys as well as the chance to inspire students to pursue their own goals and dreams in order to connect them with a future path to find their place and purpose in the world is incredibly rewarding to me.
What is one of your favorite parts of your role as an advisor? I truly enjoy being able to be an advocate for students and the center of the academic support system for my students, being along on their journey to support them as they discover who they are and take ownership of their educational, personal and career goals! One of the moments that I most enjoy when working with students is the moments when they find their place and passions that are interwined with a major and career path that fills their cup with enthusiasm! I also appreciate that advising is about so much more than just helping students understand academic expectations, degree requirements, course scheduling or crafting academic plans. The advising relationship that an advisor builds with each of their indvidual students is also key to a student's growth and success!