Philosophy of Advising Statement
As an advisor, I must recognize each student’s capacity for meaningful growth as I encourage her to develop, explore, and consider her individual educational path.
If I am to help students to truly flourish during their college years, I must be mindful that each student I encounter is a complete person who has dreamed, failed, loved, and feared and each brings with her a unique perspective, history, and vision for her life. I must listen to and understand these realities if I am to serve her as well as I ought.
When students enter my office, I may not be aware of non-academic factors in their lives that might be contributing to their goals, struggles, and attitudes. Though I may never get a complete picture of our students’ personal context or motives, I must always be respectful, engaged, and understanding.
Diverse backgrounds and perspectives are beautiful and are necessary for a robust academic community to flourish. Every student I encounter needs to be valued for her uniqueness and allowed to define her identity on her own terms.
Every student I encounter is worthy of my time, my attention, my expertise, and my concern regardless of her GPA, attitude, or past mistakes.
As an advisor, I am committed to offering my support and my knowledge of resources to students as they develop skills and attitudes necessary for success and insight into their own path.
To be an effective advisor, I must be competent in my knowledge of college resources, opportunities, and policies. I also must strive to always be humble enough to receive wisdom and support of my colleagues so that I may continue to grow and develop in my work and in my person.
To be an advisor is to be a listener, encourager, and guide.