🎙️ Emerging Voices: Career Confidence with Hayley Harned

In the bittersweet finale of Season 1, Matt and Bri sit down with the ever-delightful Hayley Harned, whose journey from the mountains of Montana to the heart of the SEC is anything but ordinary! 🌟

Join us as Hayley shares her path through residential life, TRIO, and academic advising with a sprinkle of Disney magic, 90s nostalgia, and a dash of self-discovery. From setting professional boundaries to finding joy in the small things (like the perfect corn dog), Hayley reminds us that leadership and laughter often go hand in hand.

Whether you’re a fellow Disney adult, a nostalgic 90s kid, or an advising professional chasing your own magic, this episode will leave you smiling and inspired.

🎧 Tune in, grab your favorite snack, and let’s wrap up Season 1 with heart, humor, and a whole lot of emerging voices!

*Emerging Voices is a spinoff of the Adventures in Advising podcast!

Follow us on your favorite podcast platform!

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook!

Recorded earlier this year, this episode features Mariela Ramirez who was then Undergraduate Program Advisor in Anthropology at UC Santa Cruz and is now at UC Davis. Matt and Bri chat with Mariela about introvert superpowers (and strategic beach walks), surviving the quarter-system sprint, building a high-impact peer advising program, and how counseling “core conditions” can level-up everyday advising conversations. Mariela also shares her research on campus climate for LGBTQ Latinx students, behind-the-scenes of her first NACADA poster, and practical, kind advice for anyone eyeing the Emerging Leaders Program. Tune in for warmth, wisdom, and plenty of “you’ve got this” energy.

In this episode:

• Quarter-system hustle without burning out
• Peer advisors as student-to-student game changers
• Applying counseling techniques in advising (that actually work)
• Real talk on boundaries, self-care, and calendar blocking
• How to craft a standout ELP application—minus the stress

Hit play, get inspired, and then go do that one brave thing for your students (and yourself) today.

*Emerging Voices is a spinoff of the Adventures in Advising podcast!

Follow us on your favorite podcast platform!

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook!

🎙️ Empowering Students & Advisors with Aysha Haq

In this episode of Emerging Voices, Matt and Bri sit down with the inspiring Aysha Haq, a passionate advisor and leader with over 25 years of experience in higher education across the U.S. and Canada. From her start at the University of Washington to her current role as Degree Advisor at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Aysha shares her journey, her love for helping students find their path, and how she empowers both students and advisors to thrive.

Tune in for stories of unexpected conference connections, what makes advising at a polytechnic so unique (hint: it involves horses 🐎 and cars 🚗), and how football fandom sneaks into her advising philosophy. Whether you’re curious about the NACADA Emerging Leaders Program or just love hearing about advisors who make a difference, this episode is packed with encouragement, laughter, and a whole lot of heart.

*Emerging Voices is a spinoff of the Adventures in Advising podcast!

Follow us on your favorite podcast platform!

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook!

🎙️ Emerging Voices: From TRiO to Trailblazer – Featuring Aric Faulkner

In this inspiring episode, Matt and Bri sit down with Aric Faulkner, academic advisor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Grainger College of Engineering. From his early days in the TRiO Upward Bound program to teaching ESL and now guiding future engineers, Aric’s journey is all about mentorship, resilience, and paying it forward.

He shares how his experiences shaped his passion for advising, the lessons he’s learned from his special-needs pup 🐾, and why confidence, compassion, and community are the keys to student success. We also dive into his adventures in the NACADA Emerging Leaders Program, his advice for new advisors, and his dreams for the future of academic advising.

If you’re looking for a mix of heart, humor, and hope, this episode will leave you motivated to invest in students!

*Emerging Voices is a spinoff of the Adventures in Advising podcast!

Follow us on your favorite podcast platform!

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook!

Meet Kate Earnhardt—academic advisor at the University of Nebraska Omaha, Roman-history superfan, and proud cat mom to the incomparable Frank N Beans. Kate shares how a NACADA webinar on her second day in the job lit a fire for professional development, why advising adult and contemporary learners feels like solving a joyful credit jigsaw, and how a recent ADHD diagnosis reshaped her practice and her advocacy for neurodivergent advisors and students. We also dive into her Emerging Leaders Program journey, bold goals for building community, and the hill she’ll die on: take your lunch break.

In this episode:

• Tough-love meets big-sister energy: Kate’s “advising chameleon” approach
• ADHD myth-busting and practical ways to design an ecosystem that works
• Inside UNO’s Division of Continuing Studies and the art of puzzle-piecing credit
• ELP milestones, Region 6 shoutouts, and turning a talk into a workshop

*Emerging Voices is a spinoff of the Adventures in Advising podcast!

Follow us on your favorite podcast platform!

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook!

Join Bri and Matt as they welcome Jing Yao, an academic advisor within University of British Columbia's Faculty of Arts whose journey runs from teaching test-prep in China to immigration advising, community college work at Douglas, and now student success at a research university. Jing opens up about empathetic advising, navigating academic concessions, supporting students after withdrawals, and helping students find majors that actually fit. She also shares how maternity leave has not paused her growth as well as leveling up in NACADA’s Emerging Leaders Program!

You’ll hear:

• Two-year vs. four-year advising—what truly changes (and what doesn’t)
• Practical language for hard conversations that restore confidence
• Real talk on redefining “your best” as a parent and professional
• How to turn curiosity into leadership, writing, and proposals that stick

A warm, hopeful episode packed with strategy and a Canadian sparkle ✨.

*Emerging Voices is a spinoff of the Adventures in Advising podcast!

Follow us on your favorite podcast platform!

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook!

🎙️ Emerging Voices: Sarah Davis – Building Community, Wellness, and Leadership in Advising

From launching a brand-new office right as the world shut down to leading undergraduate, graduate, and athletic advising at Marshall University, Sarah Davis knows what it means to thrive in challenge and change! In this episode, Sarah shares her journey from student to Senior Director of Advising, the creative ways she built community during the pandemic, and how she champions advisor wellness, professional growth, and leadership development.

Whether you’re curious about NACADA’s Emerging Leaders Program, looking for strategies to prevent advisor burnout, or just love an inspiring higher ed origin story (with a few field day games thrown in), you won’t want to miss this conversation.

✨ Tune in for insights, laughs, and a reminder that strong leadership is rooted in connection, compassion, and a little bit of fun!

*Emerging Voices is a spinoff of the Adventures in Advising podcast!

Follow us on your favorite podcast platform!

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook!

In this episode of Emerging Voices, Bri and Matt chat with Dr. Carol Erwin, a dynamic leader in student success and academic advising at Colorado State University. From building writing centers and mentoring programs to reimagining the first-year experience, Carol shares her journey from faculty to advising administrator.

Hear how she uses strategic outreach, data-informed practices, and creative engagement strategies such as metaphor-based reflection to connect with students. Learn how she’s navigating higher ed challenges while reflecting on career pivots, leadership development through NACADA’s Emerging Leaders Program, and the importance of staying grounded.

This episode offers meaningful takeaways on building connection, cultivating belonging, and leading with purpose.

*Emerging Voices is a spinoff of the Adventures in Advising podcast!

Follow us on your favorite podcast platform!

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook!