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What was the most confusing part of the transfer process, and how did you overcome it? The most confusing part of the transfer route was not knowing if I was done turning things in or not. There are different portals that all need different forms and I was more overwhelmed with the thought that I didn’t have something turned in and that would limit my ability to attend the school.
What resources do you think all ACC students should utilize to help set them up for transfer success? The resources at ACC students should utilize would 100% be the student advisors. They are so knowledgeable and patient.
Is there a specific professor or staff member at ACC who mentored you or pushed you to take the next step? If so, how have they helped? For staff that pushed me there are two that immediately come to mind: Professor Xydes and Ashley Moir, my advisor. Professor Xydes provided me with the confidence to strive for these large goals like getting into UT. She told me that if you wanted to be good at basketball you would play a lot of basketball. If you want to get better at reading you have to read a lot. Ashley Moir would sit with me multiple times a week answering my questions and helping me plan out what my academic future looked like. It was one thing for me to think about going to UT but it was another for her to sit down and answer my plethora of questions. If she didn’t have an answer, I’d receive an email shortly after leaving her office with the answer to my previous question.
What has been the most exciting part of your transfer to UT? The most exciting part of my transfer is being on the UT campus. I enjoy all the different things I can do around campus and I really enjoy the food options.
What advice do you have for other Riverbats planning to transfer? This was told to me by someone from Transfer Services when ACC had a resource fair. I was worried about the low acceptance rate to UT and they told me you have to consider that UT business and engineering students are also averaged into these percentages. Those are very competitive programs and can bump the up GPA average making it seem out of reach. If you want to go to a school just apply and see what happens. I didn’t think I’d make it this far – and now that I have, I limit myself a lot less.
Tell us about your higher education experience. I always thought I would go to Texas A&M and study some kind of engineering like both of my parents; however, extenuating circumstances forced me to rethink that plan. In high school I found a love of psychology and applied and was accepted to The University of Texas at Austin. I earned my Bachelor’s of Arts in Psychology and wasn’t quite sure what to do with it so I applied for a Post Bachelor’s Teaching Certification program at Texas State. I thought I would become a high school counselor so I completed my program and did my student teaching while applying to a Master’s of Education program at the University of Houston. I quickly realized once I began taking my courses that I wanted to work in higher education. I earned my Master’s in Counseling and found my way to working at ACC.
What do you like to do outside of work? Do you have any hobbies or interests that you’re passionate about? I LOVE sports. Outside of work I am either attending a game or watching one on TV. Watching sports is a great opportunity to spend time with my friends and family eating delicious food and collectively cheering on our favorite teams! . I enjoy all sports but football is my # 1 love.
What inspired you to work at ACC? What is your role and how long have you been in this role? I had a lot of support during my educational journey. A lot of different people influenced me and guided me on my journey and I realized that I could be one of those people for students too! I began working at ACC in 2018 as an academic Coach helping students develop the skills necessary to achieve their academic goals. As a coach I was able to see a students’ growth on their academic journey and now as a part of the Transfer Services team member I get to be a part of the culmination of their hard work at ACC.
If you have one, can you share a success story of a student who you helped transfer to their dream school, and what advice do you have for other students who want to follow in their footsteps? While working at College Forward I worked with an ACC student who had stopped out of school because he wasn’t sure if he would be able to transfer to a four-year school and find a way to pay for it. When I met with him he had a high GPA and completed many of his core requirements but wasn’t sure if he could get into his dream school UT Austin. We worked together to complete the transfer application, and he wrote an amazing essay and secured strong letters of recommendation. Since affording school was a concern, I also helped him connect with the financial aid office to share insight into both grants and scholarships. Oh by the way we started this process in late January and the application was due on March 1st, but he was able to submit it and apply for financial aid and scholarships on time and he was accepted to UT!
How do you stay motivated and engaged in your work, and what keeps you coming back each day? I go into work every day with the mindset that if I can help make college easier for just one student then it will be a good day. I see this mindset in all my colleagues and I know we all feel that if we all work together to use our skillsets to help students then even more of our students will achieve their academic goals.
What is one thing that you wish every student knew about the transfer process, and how they can best prepare themselves for success? Keep track of all your hard work! Keep a document with all the activities you are involved in, the projects you have created, the professors you have connected with, and ideas about essay topics. Jot down time spent on it and a few bullets of what you did and learned. You are the one doing the hard work and keeping track of it as you go will really help streamline the transfer process.
Do you have any advice for ACC students intending to transfer? It is never too early or too late to begin the transfer process! Earlier might make it easier but later can still get it done!
Got news, tips, or a student you’d like to spotlight? We’d love to feature your contributions in our next newsletter!
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