Episode Transcript
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S1 (00:30):
Hi guys. Welcome to another episode of Living Life at Lifeview.
I am your host, Doctor Veronica Garcia, and today I'm
joined by a super special person. To my heart, yes,
because she's one of the first individuals that I ever like,
met and had a connection and kind of started planning
what my life was gonna look like. Yes. So, Miss
Tisha Simms. Hi. Welcome.
S2 (00:49):
Hi. I'm so excited to be here.
S1 (00:51):
I'm so happy to have you. I'm so happy to
have you. As soon as I walked in, I was like.
S2 (00:55):
Yeah, yeah, let's go.
S1 (00:57):
So let's let's start. Let's start with how long you've
been at life.
S2 (01:02):
Okay, so I have been at life for 14 years.
I know, I know, I look young, but you know. Yes.
Young and fresh. Young and fresh. But, yeah, I've been
here for 14 years. Wow. Yes.
S1 (01:14):
And, um, what department are you a part of?
S2 (01:16):
So I work in center for Academic Excellence advising department.
As a part of that, too, is ALC Academic Learning.
So it's one big department. Um, but, yeah, I work there.
S1 (01:26):
That's awesome. And you've always been in that department?
S2 (01:28):
Yeah. I mean, it changed names, but. Yes, always an advisor.
S1 (01:32):
The essence of it.
S2 (01:33):
The essence of it. Yeah. But always advising. Yes.
S1 (01:35):
Your role is so important because just like I mentioned,
you were one of the first people. I remember that
during orientation, as soon as I moved here, started orientation,
I met you briefly at orientation. And then we got
sent out to your offices at that time. Yes. And
we sat down and you're like, okay, this is the
game plan. This is how we're going to be working
and making sure that your transition into the the university.
S2 (02:00):
Yes, definitely.
S1 (02:01):
From semester to quarter system, it's a little bit smoother.
Let's get you into this class. Let's move this. Let's
do that. Do you need support with English?
S2 (02:08):
Yes.
S1 (02:09):
I remember you having all these beautiful, important, driven conversations
and questions that allow me to be and feel safe.
So I'm grateful for you and for all the work
that you do. Oh.
S2 (02:20):
You're welcome. And look at you now on your own practice.
You're interviewing me now, you graduate. You teach here like
I just cannot be more proud of you. I'm so
proud of you.
S1 (02:29):
I'm so grateful. Thank you. Um, tell me a little
bit about what are some of those understanding that there's
a big transition and you now are in The Graduate?
S2 (02:38):
Yes, yes. And so I'm in the graduate program now.
S1 (02:40):
You started undergrad.
S2 (02:41):
Undergrad, DC probation students. I've done the whole gamut. And
so now I'm only with graduate students. Gotcha. Yes.
S1 (02:49):
Gotcha. Tell me a little bit about those transitioning students
that are maybe starting in the undergrad and are coming
straight from like fresh out of high school. And what
are those conversations a lot of times look like.
S2 (02:59):
Yeah. So those conversations so my philosophy, my advising advice
and philosophy is always about, um, advising beyond the student,
because that's where it always sits. You can come in,
you can get your classes, but if you have trouble
at home or you have other challenges, your, uh, lack
of support or whatever those things are that can really
affect how students move and navigate the systems. So what
(03:22):
we additionally do, of course, in those advising sessions is
talk about classes, but also get to know the student
a little bit more like beyond the student, like, I mean,
beyond academics. Like what other challenges could come up? What
other what are their fears? What are there other things
that might may come up outside of, uh, the resources
we also have at life, um, to make sure that
they are fully supported. We believe in holistic advising.
S1 (03:44):
I love that, I love that full it. And it
goes back to this, the center of the university, vitalism
and lasting purpose, kind of integrating everything into it.
S2 (03:54):
Yes, yes.
S1 (03:55):
It shows because you are that first conversation. Yes. Because
you are that person that sits down. And it can
be nerve wracking because you don't know what to expect,
but to have someone like you kind of bring us back,
I'm like, oh, okay.
S2 (04:06):
It's okay, I got you.
S1 (04:08):
Right, right.
S2 (04:09):
Right, right.
S1 (04:10):
So tell me now the differences, having been into that
undergraduate advising and now a little bit more of that graduate,
what are some of those differences that you've commonly seen
from those students coming in into the conversations as well?
S2 (04:22):
Well, a lot of the students that are in graduate,
they are more stable. I mean, in life. Um, well, okay.
Let me take that back. I don't mean more stable
in life. I mean, they've had the experiences. So some
of the undergraduate experiences coming in, you're like this nervous freshman.
It's quite different. So now it's more about balancing because,
(04:43):
you know, having to work. Some of them have full
families work full time. And then you're trying to get your,
you know, next level of education. So trying to help
with work life balance, how to de-stress. Um, still, my
whole basic philosophy is always going to stay the same.
It's advising beyond academics. Yeah. You know, because because I
(05:06):
always find that those types of students, I mean, all
the students, you're going to have struggles no matter what
it is. Life hits hard sometimes. So being able to
have that, those resources, having a person to support you,
I think is really where where the major support comes in.
S1 (05:24):
Yeah. And I think that the university does have do
a great job at having systems in place to bring support. However,
a lot of the students, when you are in the
midst of the chaos, you're like, I can't see. I
don't even know where to start looking. Yes. And you're
the person that allows them to be like, hey, we
have these resources. Let's use them. And if not, let's
(05:44):
find something different.
S2 (05:45):
Definitely, definitely 100%. Um, so more recently with the graduate students.
So the graduate students, I recently started working with them
maybe a couple of years ago. And so I did
find that because we do have a large population of
graduate students online that are masters of positive psych. So
even though on campus we have some great resources Sometimes
I know I feel they might feel a little bit
(06:08):
left out. So I try to make sure that I
try to get any type of resources I possibly can.
I try to collaborate and work with other departments. Um,
next week we're having wellness week. Virtual wellness week.
S1 (06:21):
Okay.
S2 (06:21):
All week long for the graduate advisors I have on
ground and on campus. So I felt this would be
a great way for everybody to be included. So each
day it's a different theme. Um, and we have workshops
and prizes and virtual game nights. So just to kind of,
you know, you know, how finals were so ahead of finals,
you know, just to kind of get a break, you know.
S1 (06:43):
Yeah, that's that's a very intentional and beautiful thing to have. Yeah.
As a person that did take online classes at some
point during my undergraduate, I was like, this is the
most isolating thing. Yes, I'm writing on this board with
everybody that's writing, right? I don't know how you look like.
I know very little of you, and I and I
did do online at a different university. Yes. And it
(07:06):
is a huge shift. It is here and there's someone
that gives you that support and checks in. And to
have something like. And Digital Wellness week.
S2 (07:14):
Yeah.
S1 (07:15):
Perfect.
S2 (07:15):
Yeah, yeah. So I think it'll be fun. I'm excited
about it. Yeah.
S1 (07:18):
Yeah. I'm excited for you guys. I want to I
want a full bag check.
S2 (07:21):
Oh, yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely. Yes, absolutely.
S1 (07:25):
Tell me a little bit, um, what are some maybe
experiences or conversations that you've had that have, like shifted
you or, or kind of assertive, been assertive to continuing
the work that you've been doing for 14 years.
S2 (07:39):
You know, I love helping. Okay. Here it is. I
love seeing people become successful. And so like, it's kind
of like teaching, right? Because you know, you'll be and
you'll see the student progress, you know, from the first
time they get here to the middle to graduation. And
so that just always has been a thing for me.
And so being in other positions versus just if I'm
(08:02):
if I'm not doing advising, then I wouldn't directly work
with the students. And so that's very, very important to me.
And I think that's what continues to give me joy.
Seeing students like you here, you are interviewing me your
whole life. So I love it.
S1 (08:15):
Yeah.
S2 (08:15):
Yeah.
S1 (08:16):
Tell me, I know that advising, especially for graduate, I'm
not sure. I would guess also for undergraduate, but there
is different stages to it. Like an advising a student
that is on the earlier on first few quarters or
first few years of the program versus one that's about
to graduate and has a little bit more of that.
It's looking for the for the hey, what do I
(08:37):
do with this degree? Kind of. Yes. Advising. Yes yes yes.
Tell me, what are some of those differences and progressions
that we expect to see for a student that is
coming here?
S2 (08:45):
Yeah. So typically so I do the advisement part. So
we do have a career development department. Yes. And so
if they have career fairs, resume writing, all those kind
of things. So that's kind of their forte. However, because
my background is in coaching because I did graduate from
here too, with the positive psych degree, I am able
(09:08):
to talk students through. Because sometimes students do come in,
they think they have an idea, they get in, and
it's kind of like, this is not what I want
to do. So because I love collaboration, I will talk
them through, especially when they're having challenges in their classes.
And sometimes, like I said, I'm beyond academics. And so
trying to get down to the root of where they
are first to see what they want to do, to
(09:30):
be able to give them the resources. I'm like the
resource gal, like.
S1 (09:33):
I like it.
S2 (09:34):
I love the other resource gal. So. So if anything, um,
I would because of my coaching background, kind of coach
them and kind of talk to them about like where
it is they want to be. Um, and then try
to transition them to the proper department, career department to
be able to get those other resources.
S1 (09:50):
I love that that's beautiful. I love that, um, Miss Sims,
I think that one of the greatest.
S2 (09:57):
He called me Tasha. You always have been so respectful.
You call me Tasha. I can't call me Tasha, I will. Okay? Okay. Right? Right. Right, right.
S1 (10:09):
Tasha, I think that, um, something that's really special about
advising is that you guys, you guys are a team.
It's not just you. And it is a whole department.
And there is also the the point of view of
finding once you have your advisor and you've created a
beautiful relationship with them like she is mine, I'm not
going anywhere without her. Right. But things happen as well.
(10:32):
So we are able to change and adapt and kind
of find the student, the right person, the right resource
for them to connect. Tell me how that dynamic works
within the team and within the department.
S2 (10:41):
Oh yeah. So first of all, let me get a
shout out to my department Center of Academic Excellence. Um,
so the executive directors, doctor, Tamika Glass, and then you
have the director, who is my direct director, uh jermell. Jenkins.
And then you have, um, Jamila Pruitt, who is the
assistant director. And so let me just say, um, without
having the proper leadership, it's very to me, it's very
(11:05):
difficult to work in certain environments, but the leadership that
we have in that department is so phenomenal that it
makes the team. And so I think you so so
for me, having being able to have people like them
in the department. So any challenges we have, we don't
we're not afraid to go talk to them. We're not afraid.
And they are not afraid to do what they have
(11:26):
to do to make sure things can happen. So if
a student doesn't match well with because personalities or personality,
they don't match well, if something's not going well, we're
very focused on making sure the student has the utmost experience. Um,
and because the leaders like that, it's possible to me
because none of us are afraid to talk to our
leaders or even talk to our colleagues like, hey, the
(11:46):
student is just not meshing well. There's some other challenges,
you know, can you help out? So and all of
our team members, we work very well together. Um, I
don't know. I really love the department. How the department
has been has shaped up.
S1 (11:59):
Is beautiful I love it. Yeah. Where are you guys located?
On campus right.
S2 (12:03):
Now. We're located in. I forget the name of the
new building, but it's a chiropractic building.
S1 (12:08):
Uh, RCC.
S2 (12:09):
Yeah. RCC yes. So we're in the RCC building. Um,
and as soon as you walk into the doors, our
department is, like, right there. Okay.
S1 (12:16):
Yeah. Okay. So when you walk from the from the
cardiac health, where the.
S2 (12:19):
Oh, yes. Okay. I had to walk up. Um, right
where the grave site is. Yeah. So, yeah, as soon
as you walk into that door, we're like, right there. Yeah. Yeah.
S1 (12:27):
Okay. Awesome.
S2 (12:28):
And sometimes we have candy. Oh, I mean, the good
kind now because, you know, we're at we're at life,
you know. Yeah, exactly. The one that.
S1 (12:34):
Uplifts.
S2 (12:35):
Your spirits. Right? That's what it is, right?
S1 (12:38):
I love that. Thank you for being such a huge
support and such an integral part of the roots of
any student that comes through your hands. Because honestly, without you,
without that department, without your dedication, your love, your coaching,
your ability to just. Hey, what's. Let me check in
with you. It truly makes a difference. To make sure
that we are able to get to the stage, that
(12:59):
we're able to start practicing. So it truly changes and shifts.
It changed my life. And I know you changed many
other people.
S2 (13:06):
Oh, that means so much to me. Yes.
S1 (13:08):
So grateful for your charisma and your presence. It is.
S2 (13:12):
Well, thank you so much. Thank you so much. Thank you.
S1 (13:14):
Yeah. You're amazing.
S2 (13:15):
Yeah.
S1 (13:16):
Well, I hope that we have another 14, 15, 20
years of you here.
S2 (13:20):
I mean, you know, you know, I'm I'm pretty young,
so I think so. Yeah.
S1 (13:24):
Exactly, exactly. Well, definitely just keep shining. Thank you for
everything that you do. Um, I hope that students do
take advantage. And if you aren't, please, please, please take
advantage of your advisors that they are here to help
you and support you and guide you through all the
shifts of life. University, but also during our lives because
(13:44):
life continue happening during life University.
S2 (13:46):
Exactly.
S1 (13:47):
Exactly.
S2 (13:47):
Exactly. Exactly, exactly.
S1 (13:50):
Well, Tasha, thank you so much.
S2 (13:52):
Thank you.
S1 (13:52):
I hope you have a beautiful rest of your day.
S2 (13:54):
You too. And it's so nice being here.
S1 (13:56):
Thank you. And we'll see you guys on the next
episode of Living Life A Life View.
S3 (13:59):
Bye.