Senior academic advisor at Herbert empowers students to navigate their academic journeys and achieve their goals
Where are you from, and how did your education and career lead you to the Herbert College of Agriculture?
I am from Decatur, Tennessee, in Meigs County. It is a very small town full of some great people. I was always incredibly encouraged by my sister and supported by my parents to pursue my educational goals. In high school, I became highly involved in FFA, leading me to be a Tennessee FFA State Officer my freshman year of college. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I wanted to go to the University of Tennessee to study agriculture, so much so that UT was the only university I applied to!
I majored in Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications with a concentration in agricultural education. As an undergraduate student, I worked as the dean’s office student assistant and realized quickly that I had a passion for higher education. After completing my bachelor’s degree, I was a graduate teaching assistant in the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications. I graduated with my master’s degree in 2022 and interviewed for my job around one week after my master’s hooding! I never knew that professional advising as a career was an option for me. Advising summed up all my favorite things about student success and higher education. It allows me to use my educational background to understand curriculum and student needs while being able to walk alongside, support, and encourage students throughout the entirety of their collegiate experience. Supporting students during their collegiate experience through proactive and transformational advising aligns directly with my passions for student success in agriculture.
As a Senior Academic Advisor for Herbert, what does a typical day look like for you?
A typical day for me is meeting with anywhere between six and ten students for their advising appointment, taking notes on academic plans, answering emails, connecting students with resources, and anything else that comes my way! Advising appointments look different based on students’ needs, but during these appointments, students and I collaborate to select classes for future semesters, discuss their academic success, internships, study abroad plans, and anything else that is impacting their academic experiences.
What inspired you to pursue a career in student advising and support?
As a Herbert alum, I always felt such consistent support and love from the people around me in the college. As an undergraduate, I had Dr. Christopher Stripling as my faculty advisor. He constantly supported and encouraged me, while simultaneously challenging me to be the best that I could be. While I was an undergraduate student, the college began hiring professional advisors. Though I never had a professional advisor myself, I was able to see the care and dedication that our professional advisors, like Amber Rayborn and Colleen Farrell, poured into every student.
People like Amber, Colleen, and Dr. Stripling showed me that having someone in your corner while in college can impact your experience. I knew that my passion for education and student success could fit perfectly into a professional advising role. I wanted to be the person in my students’ corner, constantly cheering them on and supporting them throughout their entire collegiate experience.
What is the most fulfilling aspect of working closely with students throughout their academic journeys?
I come to work every day genuinely excited to see my students. I care so much about them – their lives, their goals, their academic experience. When I meet them, they are often 18 and fresh out of high school, about to move away from home for the first time. In their 4 years with me, I can watch them grow and learn so much, both personally and within their degrees.
My non-traditional students may not come straight from high school, but when I meet them, they are starting a journey to achieve their personal or professional goals. Whether it is a traditional college student, transfer student, or nontraditional student coming back to school – when I get to see my students cross the stage at commencement and realize their goals, it is indescribable. When I get messages that say “ALLY!! I GOT THE JOB!!!” or phone calls that they got into their dream graduate program, I feel so unbelievably proud of them and fulfilled (and I usually cry).
As a two-time alum of the University of Tennessee, what does it mean to you to now serve students in the same college?
I am so proud to be a Volunteer and even more proud that I get to support other Volunteers! Advising within my home college is so special and full circle. When your job feels like home, you know you are in the right place. I get to work alongside so many people who were special in my own education and watch them be just as special to my own students. I love hearing about classes from students that I took as a student and getting to talk about how they have changed or stayed the same. Making my home in Herbert was one of the best decisions I made, and I get to help my students find their home here too.
How do you create a welcoming and supportive environment for students who come to you for guidance?
My students are always people first to me. I am always going to treat them as individuals with unique experiences, pasts, and goals. They are not just another student that I advise; they are special and unique individuals who deserve to be treated as such. I make it a point to learn more about my students than just their educational goals.
I work hard to literally meet students where they are by attending campus events they attend, chatting with them at coffee or, most recently, hosting “coffee shop hours” in my own office on study day – where I made students lattes, and they studied in my office. I also try to meet students where they are emotionally. College is filled with many challenges and complexities; I want to always provide students a safe place to land.
In your experience, what are some of the biggest challenges students face, and how do you help them navigate those obstacles?
I think there are a lot of external challenges students face that impact their time in college, as well as academic challenges. Students can experience health issues, family tragedies, undiagnosed exceptionalities that impact grades, and more. Regardless of what is happening in their lives, we have resources and people on campus that are here to support them. I always tell my students, “I don’t have all the answers, but I can absolutely help you find the right people.” Advisors can serve as a starting point for any challenges a student faces. We are here to help walk you through contacting the Dean of Students, making an appointment with a success coach or career coach, writing an email to your professors, connecting you to mental health services or the clinic, etc. We can be a student’s first line of defense.
What is one thing you wish every student knew about utilizing advising resources?
I want students to know how much we care about them and their success. Making timely meetings with your advisor can be crucial to academic planning and success. Advisors are here to support you through your academic journey – we want to help you take advantage of every opportunity! One of my dear colleagues that I always learn from, Sonja Burk, often says that “students are the primary advisor; advisors are really the secondary advisor.” As advisors, we want to support and encourage students to take ownership of their education, to understand their major, its curriculum and requirements. We want to walk alongside students as they navigate college and the challenges that come with it, providing them with resources, encouragement, and support.
What advice would you give to current students to help them stay on track and make the most of their time at UT?
One important piece of advice – of course – is to develop a relationship with your advisor! We are someone who will be consistent with you during your whole collegiate experience. We will help you navigate your academic and graduation plans. This is the best way to stay on track! Another important piece of advice is to get plugged in! Get involved within your college, your major, your department, student organizations and clubs, student government, club sports, anything – just get involved. This is such a great way to make friends with similar interests and find a home within a university that can easily feel big.
What do you like to do outside of work and/or what is a fun fact about yourself that your colleagues may not know?
I am quite the extrovert, so I think my colleagues would tell you that I am an open book, and they know most everything there is to know about me! I love to spend time with my family – my husband and 4-year-old daughter. We spend many weekends in the Smokies or at Zoo Knoxville, where our daughter loves the red pandas and lions! I am a massive Disney fan and would spend every vacation at Walt Disney World if I could! I love to read, cook, and bake – and I am a big Survivor fan! I love people, and I love the Vols!!!
