Naz academic advisor's passion for guiding students earns her an award
Amanda Myers’ dedication for guiding transfer students to create their own college path has earned her an award. The Nazareth academic counselor will be honored with an Excellence in Advising award for Region One by NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising at a regional conference in March.
Myers realized her career path when she was a graduate student at SUNY Oswego studying for her master’s in art and graphic design, and worked as a graduate assistant in the admissions office. “I quickly realized I wanted to work in higher education,” said Myers. “My favorite part of my job was meeting with the students, and I knew that I wanted that to be a bigger part of my job, so I got into academic advising.”
A college student’s experience is shaped not only by the classes they take and the opportunities they are presented with, but also by the people who help them along the way. Myers says she is glad to be an advisor whom students can rely on to provide guidance.
“I am often inspired by my advisees’ dreams and aspirations, and I acknowledge with each student the role I am playing in helping them shape their college lives. I am motivated by my students’ energy, and the knowledge that I can have a positive impact on their college path,” she says.
Nazareth senior Grace Schmidt, a communication sciences and disorders major, says Myers was one of the first people she met as a transfer student coming into Nazareth, and she has had a profound impact on her.
“Since that meeting, Amanda has been my go-to person. I will email her or visit her office and she has always been willing to help me with tremendous support. I came to her with the goal in my head to graduate in three years, and she sat down with me and went through every last detail I needed to know in order to make that happen,” said Schmidt.
Schmidt knew she wanted to help other transfer students have the same great experience, and Myers invited her to be a peer mentor in the Academic and College Success for Transfer Students (ACS) class she teaches. Schmidt is now in her fourth semester as a peer mentor.
“She loves hearing my thoughts and feedback for the class,” said Schmidt. “She makes my voice as a transfer student feel heard and valued. Overall, transferring to a new college is tough for any student, and Amanda made my experience at Nazareth one I will not forget.”
NACADA’s vision is recognizing that effective academic advising is at the core of student success. NACADA aspires to be the premier global association for the development and dissemination of innovative theory, research, and practice of academic advising in higher education.
Nazareth University is an inclusive community of inspired learners, educators, and changemakers who for nearly 100 years have been driven by a bold commitment to action, empathy, equity, and leading innovation for the common good. Impact experiences are at the heart of a Nazareth education, preparing each student to discover within themselves the potential to cultivate positive change in their life's work, in any career field, and in a world that is constantly evolving and infinitely interconnected.
Our broad academic offerings present a range of study options typical of larger universities, yet achieved in our supportive campus culture. Nearly 2,100 undergrad and 600 graduate students enroll in degree and certificate programs and engage in collaborative, transformative learning experiences, preparing for the professions and society of today and tomorrow. In a learning community that purposefully integrates liberal arts and professional programs, Nazareth University graduates are able to launch a lifetime of impactful leadership in communities and workplaces near and far.
Nazareth academic counselor Amanda Myers (left) teaching an Academic and College Success for Transfer Students (ACS) class with Nazareth student Grace Schmidt, who is a peer mentor in the class.