Grace Extended

As I sat, I waited for Dr. Davidson (my advisor, lovingly referred to as “Doc”) to scold me for having performed so poorly the quarter before. He so easily could have broken me with even the slightest hint of disappointment.

As a first-generation college student, I sat in the office of my academic advisor feeling unsure and defeated. My parents were supportive and wonderful but were not sure how to help me with academic choices. I had changed my major, knew it was a mistake, and wanted to return to my previous major—costing me both time and money.

While my architecture grades (original major) were good, my pre-med grades were less than stellar, and now, wanting to return to architecture, I was faced with the reality that my cumulative GPA suffered.

As I sat, I waited for Dr. Davidson (my advisor, lovingly referred to as “Doc”) to scold me for having performed so poorly the quarter before. He so easily could have broken me with even the slightest hint of disappointment. I do not remember every word of the conversation but I will never forget the substance. He basically said that he was happy that I had passed everything and he pointed out where those natural science credits would be useful; and—he welcomed me back. I remember breathing in and tears falling down my cheeks, so relieved that he had extended the grace that I needed in that moment.

At the end of the meeting he said, “Can we pray together?” He was the first and only academic advisor that prayed with me in my time at Andrews University.

That advising experience was a pivotal moment for me as a 19-year-old desperately trying to navigate higher education (and also trying to figure out life!), and serves as the basis for how I approach academic advising today.

Professor Davidson believed in me; he did not judge my decisions or my performance, he focused on what could be learned and how to move forward. This is what I hope to do (and hope to have done) for my advisees. An advisor can and should be knowledgeable of the policy and procedures of the institution while also keeping up on available resources, scheduling, financial implications of decisions, curriculum requirements, career outlooks, licensure requirements, etc., etc.; but even if you have all of this at your fingertips you can still damage a student.

Academic advising, at its core, is much more than having a lot of knowledge—it is about having empathy. Being able to meet students where they are at, offering suggestions while instilling ownership, listening more than speaking, showing kindness with candor, celebrating achievement and learning from perceived failures—these things are what I consider to be the “heart” of advising. Recognizing that God has made each student unique—having both gifts and challenges—and never being tempted to exercise a “one size fits all” approach is essential to the art of good academic advising.

I’m not at all convinced that I do these things well all of the time but I know that the Lord is patient with me and provided Doc as a mentor. Earlier this year I was honored with the Outstanding Advising Award from the State of Michigan. This award is every bit Doc’s award and I’m blessed to be a part of it.