December 18, 2024

East Mississippi Community College advisors Matthew Darnell, Jessica Scarbrough, and Dr. Renyetta Johnson attended the 2024 NACADA Annual Conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Oct. 27-30 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. 

The theme for the conference was “A Beautiful Day in the Burgh: Championing Advisors as Helpers.” NACADA, which stands for National Academic Advising Association, is the Global Community for Academic Advising.

The opening keynote speaker, Dr. Jasmine A. Lee, who serves as associate vice president for Community and Culture at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, emphasized that for holistic student support to happen on college campuses, we must begin with creating a culture that fosters a sense of belonging and connectedness. 

Lee noted that in order to create an inclusive campus environment for students, advisors should incorporate best practices that ensure human dignity, love, truth, honesty and empathy as part of all approaches to support organizational change. Advisors attended various sessions during the conference and indicated the importance of understanding their role as advisors to help foster a sense of belonging and support for students. 

“Students are people first,” Johnson said. “So, creating a sense of belonging starts with meeting students where they are, believing in them, and engaging with them in a way that builds trust. It’s about helping students find belonging and community, not simply fitting in.” 

Conference sessions ranged from supporting students with disabilities, proactive advising, supporting first generation students and best practices to support advisor wellbeing. Attending the conference provides advisors an opportunity to network with other advisors across the region and learn about tools and strategies to support the students they serve. 

By attending the conference, advisors were provided an opportunity to reflect on and examine how they can contribute to their students’ journey from initial contact to successful completion. 

Johnson further noted, “A sense of belonging can lead to positive outcomes and success.  We want our students to know that we care about them. Listening to their story, asking questions, that really helps to get to know our students better so they feel like they matter.  When we can communicate that well to students, I believe that becomes the catalyst for student success. That is where it all starts.”