Annie was an intern for the University Advisement Center at BYU during Fall 2024.
Briefly explain what you did and the result of your internship.
As an academic advisor intern I shadowed advising appointments, interviewed various advisors at BYU, studied advising theory, and wrote my own advising philosophy.
What did you learn in your internship that you were not expecting to learn?
Something I learned that I wasn't expecting to learn is how many backgrounds academic advisors come from. I had the opportunity to info interview advisors and learned how many different majors they were coming from. Anywhere from Human development to Business majors. They all uniquely contributed as advisors from all their different backgrounds. I was struggling to decide on a major, so that was cool to learn knowing that I could be an academic advisor with whatever major I choose.
How have your future plans changed because of what you learned from your internship experience?
I now have a clearer vision of what I want to do in the future. I had no idea what I wanted to do before and now I feel like I have found my calling in life. I love working with people in this way and I can see how big of an impact it can have in people's lives.
Please share how your experience led to personal inspiration or insightful revelation.
My mentor and I had many discussions on how important an advisors role can be in a students life. We often reflected on how we can play a huge part not only in the university but in the lives of God's children. As advisors, we have the opportunity to sit down and listen to students struggles, dreams, and ideas about life. An advisor doesn't just plan students schedules, we ask them questions about what they love and what their dreams are and help them make plans from there. We also have the opportunity to challenge their thinking and help them come to know themselves and learn what they value. I think advising is such a unique opportunity to help God's children, especially when they're in this stage of life where they're defining themselves and making decisions that impact the rest of their lives.
Would you recommend this internship to other students?
Absolutely. It was so cool to see what it would be like to be an advisor. I made so many connections across campus with different advisors. I learned a lot of fascinating theory about motivating people and student development. And I had so many insightful discussions with my mentor, Keith Proctor.
Is there anything else you would like to say regarding your internship?
Just that I'm so grateful for this experience. I learned so much and made so many meaningful connections.
