Advising Philosophy Statement

My approach has always been to meet my students where they are in the moment with warmth and respect, where I encourage them to be everything they want to be, to understand possibilities and outcomes of decisions, and to identify strengths and abilities, and then I pull back and let them lead. Such ownership holds the potential for power. Advising often begins at the curricular level, and I make it my custom to remain up to date on program and degree requirements and various policies and processes. Such dependability fosters a sense of support and assurance, allowing students some sense of safety to explore and making room to examine accompanying emotions. Together, we reflect on the past and plan for the future, and I join them in the process. I connect students to resources, help navigate the bureaucracy, explain difficult material, ask thoughtful questions, champion choice, talk about values, assess emotional impact, and help make sense of the disconnected pieces. Through the advising experience, my hope is for students to become skilled thinkers, solid communicators, and independent learners and to give themselves honest feedback through self-reflection and choice.