CEPS ADVISING CENTER

 

 

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Originally from Colorado Springs, CO, Sydney attended the University of North Texas on an athletic scholarship. She graduated with her Bachelor’s in Accounting and entered the workforce. After working as a financial advisor in Texas and a pool and fitness center manager back in Colorado Springs, Sydney moved to Laramie to be with her fiancé. Sydney is passionate about all sports, especially swimming, and continues to coach as a volunteer assistant with Wyoming Swimming and Diving (GO POKES!).

Sydney is excited to combine her skills in coaching and accounting to serve CEPS students! If you have academic-related questions regarding degree programs, class schedules, registration, petitions, advising, or other academic-related inquiries, please don’t hesitate to schedule a meeting with her to discuss your questions further. 

 

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Philosophy

Regarding advising students, two significant concepts stand out to me. First, just like the people themselves, the path one takes to reach their goals is unique and ever-changing. Second, I believe all people can succeed when given the proper tools. Giving students the tools needed for success equates to the adage, “if you give a man a fish, he will eat for a day; if you teach a man to fish, he will eat for a lifetime.”

Academic advisors have the duty to impart vital life skills needed for lifelong academic and professional success. Yet, it is not an advisor’s job to achieve a student’s goal for them, but rather to show the student how that goal may be achieved through providing tools such as community and resources.

When an advisor embodies the NACADA’s core values (NACADA 2017), they teach the student that a supportive, knowledgeable, and accountable community is often their most important tool. Additionally, advisors should be well-versed in the institution's student success resources and have anecdotal resources to share with students. It is important to me to consider that each student’s path is unique.

To create a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment, I must take the time to learn who each student is, what motivates them, their background, their struggles, and their goals. I must enter each interaction with a listen-first mindset to hear the student for what they say and exclude. I strive to take the time to greet each student with friendliness, and genuine care, which disarms the student and allows for a foundation of trust.

Once I know the individual student’s needs, I work with them to discover how to best accomplish their goals within the institution’s system. This may take some creative thinking in certain situations, but it will ultimately benefit the student the most.

 

References:

NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising. (2017).

NACADA core values of academic advising. Retrieved from here.