"We may be able to tap into things happening with a student that he or she might not feel comfortable disclosing to an administrator or faculty member." JoAnna Lewis

JoAnna Lewis is undeterred by a task that takes her back and forth across campus multiple times. Because of her tenacity, a student on the other side of the world was able to return to Virginia Tech to finish her degree.

"She couldn't get her visa renewed, even though she brought documents on the approved list," Lewis explained. Lewis worked with the Registrar's Office to obtain the correct document the embassy would accept, but the Registrar's Office would only send it USPSwhich could take weeks.

Lewis persuaded the Registrar's Office to release the letter to her. She then hand delivered it to Virginia Tech's Graduate School, who sent it via an international courier system. The student, who lived in a remote part of China, waited in a Beijing hotel room for her documents.

When she returned to Blacksburg, she told Lewis, "I wouldn't have been able to come back if you didn't exist."

"That's what drives me," Lewis said.

That drive, and dedication to service, is something the entire advising staff has in common. Each of the advisorsLeslie Pendleton, Mary Brewer, Nicole Gholston, Kimberly Johnston, and JoAnna Lewis, find fulfillment in helping students flourish.

"We are a resource," Jaime De La Ree, associate professor and assistant department head, said. "Advisors are in the department to support all the activities of our students, and provide the best possible guidance, and often more than that."

"There is so much more to a student than their classroom experiences or college experiences." Mary Brewer

"We're in the business of student success," Mary Brewer, academic and career advisor, said. Each student is assigned an advisor, and all advisors work with both undergraduates and graduate students.

While some departments may assign teaching and research faculty advising duties, ECE's structure removes a level of stress for students who may be intimidated about disclosing a personal problem to a professor he or she reveres. "We look beyond the grade, at the person," Brewer said.

"All of our faculty advise," Leslie Pendleton, an advisor and instructor in the department, said. "Teaching and advising merge." Faculty members serve as technical advisors, helping students match their academic interestsfrom embedded systems to alternative energy systemsto a career track. The professional advising team takes care of everything else.

"I can help you navigate the often-confusing 'other' parts of being a student such as how to pay fees," JoAnna Lewis said. "Focus on your studies. Don't be afraid to contact us and ask questions."

Advisors can also help smooth over issues that arise for faculty in the classroom. "If a student is missing classes or suddenly stops turning in homework or assignments, we can provide support for that," Mary Brewer said. "We know the resources that are available, and understand university issues and policies."

The advisors also understand what it is like to feel overwhelmed, and want to help students before they take any extreme actions. "I had a former student who panicked and dropped all of her classes," Kimberly Johnston, academic and career advisor, said. In the heat of the moment, that brash move may feel like the only option. "But it can impact your enrollment, your student loans, and your status if you're an international student," she explained. "If you talk to an advisor, you can avoid unnecessary stress and paperwork."

Johnston works to create a home away from home in her office, and she has a soft spot for international students. "They've left their lives and their families, and have the added pressure of an intense program," she said.

"International students are a little harder on themselves," she adds. "They're very driven, and set high expectations for themselves. I've found myself saying'it is okay to enjoy yourself on a weekend,' or you don't have to take 18 credit hours every semester.'"

While working in a former position, Johnston had an Ethiopian work-study student. She wrote multiple letters over many months to the Ethiopian embassy so the student's parents could get visa approval to attend her graduation.

"The best feeling in the world is when students graduate and move on to the next phase," Johnston said. "There is no feeling like it in the world. It is a true honor to work with these students."

"I've found myself saying'it is okay to enjoy yourself on a weekend,' or you don't have to take 18 credit hours every semester." Kimberly Johnston

One student Brewer advises was working hard, "and he could talk about what he had learned accurately and intelligently," she said. But he was failing his tests and his homework. The student and his instructor were stumped. Brewer noticed some familiar patterns and gave him a referral for educational testing. He was diagnosed with a learning disability.

"He was down on himself at first. He was ready to give up," Brewer explained. With added support, the student was able to accept his differenceshe wasn't unintelligent, he just had a disconnect. "He started using his accommodations as soon as he could, retook the class he was failing, and got a higher grade," she said. "His instructor noticed a whole different ability from him."

"Next May, I get to watch him graduate," Brewer adds, with a smile.

Leslie Pendleton worked closely with a student who left Tech after completing his undergraduate degree, but he then returned a few years later for graduate school. "He was very smart, but struggled," she explained. When he ran up against problems that seemed unusual, she directed him to testing which gave a new diagnosis to illuminate some of his difficulties. She helped him come to accept his new reality, and connected him to other support services.

Toward the end of his graduate program, she helped him organize the literature review for his Master's thesis using a tool he could understanda Venn diagram. She also helped him work backward to create a plan and timeline, including the individual steps he needed to complete his thesis. One weekend when his parents visited, the student invited Pendleton to a celebratory dinner with his parents. "His mother said, 'I don't know what he would have done without you all this time', and she and I cried together," Pendleton said.

"I love to hear their storieswhy they chose Virginia Tech, why they're pursuing a cybersecurity minor. I love the student and the story." Nicole Gholston

Efficient advising is one of the first steps to student success and retention. A study at Portland State University showed that students were more satisfied when they have access to professional advisors, not just faculty advisors.

ECE's advising department embraces the concept of developmental advising, which advocates building relationships between student and advisor, and they follow guidelines and strategies outlined by the National Academic Advising Association.

"We look at their emotional and psychological needs as they matriculate through their programs from the sophomore year onward through graduation," Leslie Pendleton said. "I want to know how students are doing socially and psychologically as they pursue their rigorous academic programs."

Jaime De La Ree

The advisors' ultimate goal is to help students take responsibility for their own decisions and actions. In their late teens and twenties, many undergraduates experience massive emotional and intellectual development in a relatively short span of time. The independence that college requires of students can open up to become a fulcrum in their lives. "They question authority more, see gray areas, and do real critical thinking," Brewer said. This, combined with the weight of new demandsacademic, social, and emotionalcan become too much to bear.

The advising team knows how to ask the right questions and give students the most appropriate referrals due to their backgrounds, training, and experience. Developing relationships, however, is the most important component.

While working as an advisor at another university, Nicole Gholston scheduled weekly check-ins with a student who was struggling academically. "We would talk about her classes and some steps she could take to improve, but I didn't think it was getting through," Gholston said.

At the end of the semester, the student handed her a card. "She'd written, 'I want to thank you for believing in me before I believed in myself. I wouldn't have made it through without your encouragement.'"

"There's no substitute for forming a relationship. I have put my heart and soul into helping our students." Leslie Pendleton

Virginia Tech president Timothy Sands has committed to increasing student enrollment substantially over the next few years, and with that in mind, the advisors are thinking outside the box and working to connect with students outside of traditional methods.

Whether the preferred communication is email, phone, or in-person, "you can still develop a relationship and be responsive," JoAnna Lewis said.

Regardless of format, however, it is up to students to take the first step. "We reach out to them, but they have to make an appointment," Brewer explained. "Part of the advising relationship is creating teachable moments and helping students learn to be proactive, and to advocate for themselves." Getting in touch with their advisors can be a smallbut criticalfirst step in that direction.

"We're here to make a student connection," Kimberly Johnston said. "We are committed to preparing our students for the real world, and we want to help them manage their time, think critically, and take responsibility."

"I'm interested in students beyond their ID number," Nicole Gholston added. "I love hearing their stories." More than anything, ECE's advising team wants students, and faculty, to see them as a resource to help in many aspects of their lives.

"It can help just to know that someone cares beyond how you did on that project," Mary Brewer said. "Nothing a student can say will surprise me. They might be struggling with their sexual identity, diagnosed with cancer, have a parent die, had a really bad breakup, or their home country could be in turmoil."

Overall, the department is excited to provide a high level of service. "I believe our advisors can masterfully guide our students," De La Ree said.