College Advising: An Empowering Process

by Susan Johnston, College Adviser Riverside High School, October 13th, 2017

The beginning of my first year as an NC State College Adviser could be summed up using one word: empowering. One of the definitions listed in the Dictionary for the word empower reads “to make (someone) stronger and more confident, especially in controlling their life and claiming their rights”. Not only do I mean that this job is empowering me as a person, but I am helping high school students find their own empowerment as well.

As a college adviser, I am called to instill confidence and strength in the minds of my students while encouraging them to take control of their futures and pursue their dreams. Higher education, for most students, can be the key to turning these dreams into realities. Regardless of race, gender, background, economic status, etc. college advisers are called to help guide the pathway to higher education for all of our students. It has truly been a joy to meet one-on-one with all of my seniors and learn about their different goals and passions; to know that I have played a part, however small it may be, in helping shape each young adult’s future is pretty special. On the same note, watching my students get excited about pursuing higher education and learning about the opportunities that exist for them post-high school is just as rewarding for me as it will be for them.

College advisers, school counselors, teachers, and all school staff members are working hard each day to provide a positive learning environment for the generations who will be coordinating the future of the world. So, to my students, my fellow advisers, and all people in the education world, may you always feel empowered to shape the lives of others—as well as your own—for the better.