Call it cluttered or “very well-organized chaos,” but the many random items in Maria Aladjova’s office reflect a lifelong curiosity. There's an LGBTQ heart, her native Bulgaria’s flag, a dream catcher, a picture of Simba from The Lion King, and volleyballs from the sport that initially drew her to campus almost 20 years ago. They put students at ease and spark conversations with the first-year students she advises in the School of Integrated Health Sciences.

Aladjova, a four-year volleyball star at UNLV, earned a B.A. in psychology in 2008; a master’s in sports psychology in Bulgaria in 2009; and a master’s in clinical mental health counseling back at UNLV in 2019. Earlier this year, she was named Outstanding Advisor and co-chaired (with academic advising coordinator Janelle Yasukochi) a regional conference of NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising at the Westgate.

When you were recruited to play volleyball in 2004 and you didn’t know much English, what were your first impressions of UNLV?

I was miserable. I was so homesick. I was overwhelmed. I was scared. And I expressed my fears through being very argumentative because change was difficult. I was so sad, but I just didn't know how to say it in a way that made sense. People thought I was rude, and I felt misunderstood, often because of the language barrier. I was counting the days until the end of the academic year to go home and stay.

The funny thing is, on the way to the airport, I’m looking at the Thomas & Mack Center, and I have this homesickness for the Thomas & Mack! What’s going on? What is this? All of a sudden, I’m like, oh, OK, I’m gonna miss this place. When I came back my sophomore year, I was ready to finally commit to being here and making the most of it.

Why did you pick psychology to study?

I have always been interested in why people do what they do out of pure curiosity, because I wanted to know what makes people get out of bed in the morning. What inspires someone to choose x versus y. If it’s just the money factor, OK, I get it. What about the people motivated by additional factors, like the pure joy of learning or the pure joy of winning?

Describe the link between your parents, volleyball, and your choice of study and career.

I am the person I am mainly because of the way my parents raised me. As former professional athletes, they highly regarded discipline, work ethic, commitment, and resilience. Setting a goal and finishing it were mandatory — an expectation. Coming to UNLV was another challenge that I just needed to accomplish because that’s who I am. You know, like “Rebels Make it Happen!” 

The sport has given me a lot: Being able to work with people in a team. Being able to be a leader, a captain, and a follower, when needed. Being able to take ownership and responsibility when I made a mistake. Being able to help a teammate when they need it. Knowing that when I have a task that needs to be done, I make sure that it gets done. And you’ve got to make sure that you carry your weight for the team to succeed. The sport definitely taught me a lot, and I’m super grateful for it.

How has being an academic advisor changed since the pandemic?

Before COVID, it was mainly class scheduling. After COVID, we’ve noticed an increase in anxiety, in ADHD, social anxiety, depression, and students having a hard time talking to people and coming into our office. So we’ve adjusted to having more phone calls and more virtual appointments. I’ve learned to adapt, and I try to take more time to bond with the students and make sure that they feel comfortable.

Is there one student who stands out?

When one student came into my office four years ago, she was almost in tears about her math class. She said, “Maria, I just can’t. Math is hard.” And I said, “Oh, absolutely get it. I love languages. Words and letters talk to me. But numbers? We’re not on speaking terms, and we’ve never been!” She started laughing and relaxed. I provided her resources and let her know how to find tutoring.

Math was important to her major, she stayed in the class, passed it, and she’s almost done with her degree. Now we talk, and she’s like, “Do you remember when I first came to your office?” I'm like, “Of course I do. Oh, my God, you’re gonna make me cry.”

What have you learned from students through the years?

Being humble. I feel like a lot of advisors forget how difficult it is to be in the students’ shoes.  We think that because they’re younger that their problems are not as important because maybe we see them as just kids. Being 20 years older doesn’t make me better or wiser. Let them teach me so I see the world through their eyes.

What was your conference presentation about?

“Finding Harmony,” outlining a wellness program we recently implemented for UNLV academic advisors. If we implement small changes into our day-to-day life, we can improve our overall mental health and well-being and avoid burnout. We talked about physical wellness, hydration, healthy food choices, reading, sleeping, relationships, self-care, and gratitude.

What’s your best piece of advice?

Author Joel Barker’s quote, “Vision without an action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. But vision with action can change the world.”

I also like a quote attributed to Gandhi: “Be the change you want to see in the world.” I believe that we should lead by example. When we say something, it should align with our actions.

What’s your favorite spot on campus?

Our entire campus is just beautiful! When I was an athlete, I used to hang out a lot with athletes and go into different athletic events. But then in my senior year, I had a roommate who was a musician, and she introduced me to our fine arts buildings. I felt so ignorant and so uninformed and like I’d been missing out. I was like, “Oh, my God, we’ve had that the four years I’ve been here? That was here, and I didn’t know about it?’ 

Thinking back to 2004, could you even imagine you would still be at UNLV two decades later?

Absolutely no. I was just a different person. I wish that the adult who’s talking with you right now could go back to 2004 me, shake her, and say, “Hey, it’s OK. Just embrace it.” Change sucks. No one likes change. But change is a good thing. It’s like broccoli. No one necessarily likes broccoli, but it’s good for us.