🎙️ 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!

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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!

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In this energizing episode of Emerging Voices, Matt and Bri chat with Dr. Kathleen VanDyke from Texas A&M’s School of Engineering Medicine! From aspiring engineer to passionate advisor, Kathleen shares her unexpected journey into higher ed, the power of empathy and “translational skills,” and what it takes to thrive in a program that fuses medicine with engineering. Tune in for candid stories, career-shaping insights, and real talk on building community, setting boundaries, and leading with heart in the ever-evolving world of academic advising.

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

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Cami Christopoulos, Assistant Director for the Leadership Scholars Program at Loyola University Chicago, shares her inspiring journey through higher education. In this episode, Cami opens up about her passion for advising first-generation and low-income students, her student-centered philosophy, and her experience with NACADA’s Emerging Leaders Program. From conference aspirations to building community and finding joy beyond the office, Cami’s story is one of growth, impact, and heart. Don’t miss this powerful conversation with a rising leader in academic advising!

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

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In this inspiring first interview of the Emerging Voices series, Matt and Bri sit down with Imani Hill, a standout participant in NACADA’s Emerging Leaders Program, as she shares her path from aspiring school counselor to transformative academic advisor at Syracuse University. Imani opens up about her passion for student success, her work in academic recovery, retention, and four-year graduation strategies, and why career integration is essential in advising. She also dives into her experience teaching, leading soft skills workshops, and making an impact through the Emerging Leaders Program, as well as her goals for the future, including mentoring and conference presentations. Tune in for a powerful conversation on the evolving role of advisors and the importance of adaptive, student-centered support.

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

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Join co-hosts Matt Markin and Bri Harvie as they spotlight rising changemakers from NACADA’s Emerging Leaders Program. These aren’t just interviews, but powerful conversations with leaders who are shaping the future of advising through passion and purpose. Emerging Voices amplifies the next generation of NACADA leadership, one voice at a time.

Emerging Voices is part of the Adventures in Advising podcast network!

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

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Follow us on Instagram and Facebook!