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."

"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 sayingit 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."