by Jill Lingard
Congratulations to CLAS advisor Ella Tabares, who has been chosen to participate in the National Academic Advising Association’s (NACADA) 2009-2011 Emerging Leaders Program! This two-year professional development program encourages members from diverse groups to get involved in leadership opportunities within the organization. As one of the 10 academic advisors who were chosen for this honor, Ella will work with a designated mentor to develop a plan for involvement and growth within the organization. We asked Ella to share more about herself and her advising experiences.
What’s your current position at UF?
I am an academic advisor in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences’ Academic Advising Center. I’ve been working here since July 2006. I earned my Master’s in Education in 2005 from UF and spent a year in Portland, Oregon before coming back to Florida to work for the AAC.
Describe the population of UF students you currently work with.
I work with all CLAS students. I am particularly proud to serve as one of the AIM (at-risk student program) advisors, and I also serve on the readmissions committee. I am also the faculty advisor to Tau Sigma, the honor society for transfer students.
What do you like most/least about your job?
What I like most is something I realized in year two of my position: advising is like a craft that you are constantly improving, really like an art. There is an art to advising, to delivering news in a respectful and clear manner and to get the student “on your side” even when they don’t necessarily get their way– that’s hard to do. I like knowing that students always hold us accountable. It’s not a glamorous position, but I’m really proud of it. Also, I really appreciate that I can always find a trusted co-worker to talk to about student issues, workload, etc. – the level of support and encouragement I’ve gotten here is something I’ll always treasure.
What I like least is feeling like I’m always doing a haphazard job at the duties I have in addition to advising. Don’t get me wrong, I value being able to take on other things. But I’d rather try to be a good advisor with lackluster initiatives than the other way around. The AAC has been lucky enough in the past year to attain a very talented pool of new advisors, so that’s helping.
What keeps you motivated?
To be frank, the fact that I was nominated as an Emerging Leader for NACADA is an example of something that motivates me because I know I’m still fairly new to UF compared to so many seasoned advisors on campus and can’t hold a candle to the amazing things that many of my colleagues have done. Fear of failure motivates me. That’s a pretty dark concept, but someone with my background (grew up poor, first generation, loving but very unstable family life) who got to where they are now should be doing more! On the positive side, of course, students telling you “thank you SO much – that really helped!” or breaking through the wall that students put up sometimes is a wonderful motivator, too.
Describe something related to advising at UF that you wish you could change.
I’m not sure how this could be improved, but sometimes it feels like the advising world and the academic world of instructors are completely separated. We as academic advisors spend a large chunk of time advising students on grades needed, courses required, etc., but I feel like many of us don’t really know what the instructors’ perspectives are or their expectations. Connecting these two units of academia seems crucial to me in being able to advise students well.
What’s the best thing a student ever told you?
I don’t have a specific anecdote in mind, but whenever a student follows up with me about no longer pursuing a major they aren’t doing well in, or finally getting the help they need—whenever a student makes their own decision to make an improvement in their lives, that’s the best thing to hear! Sometimes you see that the advice that you gave was absorbed and helped change someone’s life for the better.
What advice would you give a brand new advisor at UF?
To learn as much as you can about what it means to be a good advisor, to spend lots of time observing veteran advisors, and to find a mentor in your office who will sit down with you regularly during your first year. It’s so important not to be shy about finding a mentor. When I first started at the AAC, everyone was so busy that, after the excellent training I did receive, feedback wasn’t really given to me afterwards. I always regret not dragging a veteran advisor into my office to shadow me. I would also urge a new advisor to pay attention to the structure of UF and the policies enforced, as well as the sheer size of the University. If you aren’t comfortable with these factors, it’s important to make a mental note of that when thinking about your long-term professional goals.
What advice do you give a brand new student at UF?
To be as open-minded as possible about all the different people you will meet without losing the sense of who you are or who you want to become. To recognize the fact that you are going to be uncertain about many things right now and to be okay with that. I would advise new students to find a professional on campus (a.k.a. an advisor!) and to start establishing a relationship of trust with that person early on in their UF career.
What do you enjoy doing away from work?
I love listening to music and catching good shows, watching movies, walking through neighborhoods, reading news-magazines, spending time with my mom who has only been in Gainesville for a year and a half, being with good friends and with my “little,” 10-year-old Malika (I’ve been in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program with her for two years now).
What’s your secret for balancing your work and home lives?
I am not the best at balancing sometimes, but I guess I always remind myself to reach out to my family and friends and to focus on who I am as a person. It’s easy to define yourself by what you do for a living, but I like to think that as much as I love my job, I’d still be a pretty happy person figuring myself out.
