Student Success Advising

Savonne Proctor is ready to support students on their journey to becoming well-rounded professionals while helping them balance their academics. Get to know her as she discusses her new role, what she looks forward to, and advice to students about managing college life.

What sparked your interest in working at Syracuse University?

My background is in higher education, so I have been working with students for quite a bit since leaving graduate school. I have always been on the student affairs side of higher education. However, I have been wanting to get to the academic side. As far as SU is concerned, I have been hoping to gain experience working with and connecting with students via academic affairs. I thought it was a great fit and opportunity for me to make that leap and the role aligns with a lot of my goals and professional aspirations.

What is your role as a student success advisor?

As an advisor, my role is to support, primarily first and second-year students, as they matriculate through their college experience. It is about being there to help them balance their personal life, professional life and academic life and support them to be well-rounded. Sometimes STEM majors can be hyper-focused on academics…I am also here to help students who may struggle with their people skills.

What are you most excited about in your role?

I am excited to get to know the population. This is a different kind of student population than I have worked with in the past, so I am extremely excited to get to know them. I am also thrilled to make new colleagues and do more collaborations across campus and engage in some professional development for myself as well.

What’s your favorite part about being a success advisor so far?

My coworkers and the team are great. I enjoyed adjusting to the work culture and starting some projects like the Student Leadership Conference, which gave me the opportunity to meet some of the students in ECS.

Do you have any advice for students?

I would say enjoy it all – not just hyper-focusing on academics. You should prioritize it, of course, but enjoy your social life, growing and learning. This is when you come into adulthood, and it goes by so fast. Enjoy the relationships you build, enjoy the experiences you will have, enjoy the classwork, and interacting with faculty. Enjoy it all.

What are some things you like to do for fun?

I like to thrift, watch some trash TV in my spare time and I am really connected to my faith. I spend a lot of time doing work for my church and staying spiritually grounded. It is a big part of my identity, and I like spending time with my church family. I am also a news junkie, and I like to travel and connect with my college friends. I enjoy seeing them when I get a chance to. I try to do the things I love & spend time with the people I love as often as possible.

Our college offers a variety of support services for students. Learn more about how Student Success Advising and Career Services can help you.

Taylor Larsen’s love for higher education and passion for helping students have made her role as a Student Success Advisor fulfilling. Get to know Larsen as she discusses her background, advice to students, and her new role in the College of Engineering and Computer Science.

What sparked your interest in working at Syracuse University?

I studied public relations and minored in sustainability. I really enjoy working in higher ed. Some things that energize my work are helping students find their passion and the different talents and skills they have that they can apply to their real lives and do that reflection. A lot of what I do in my job is hold up a mirror to my students and show them who they are. It’s not about trying to be more or doing more. It’s about helping them discover what they have within them.

Discovering different opportunities, I wanted to transition into a more advising role that focused on success. This position aligned with the journey I wanted to go on.

What is your role as a student success advisor?

The role of a student success advisor is to focus on the student and make sure they maximize their use of resources while they’re here. Especially with how big the university is, it’s easy to get lost and confused in figuring out who you are and what you want to do.

If I had a person in the position I have now when I was an undergrad, I would be a completely different person. I’m grateful to be where I am and offer the services I’m able to provide to my students.

It’s kind of like consulting to a certain degree. It’s different for each student depending on what’s going on in their lives. Making sure they are achieving their goals and pursuing their purpose while they’re here. We make sure they’re hitting all the milestones they must hit to graduate on time and build themselves up for their career.

What are you most excited about in your current role?

I am excited to build rapport with my students and become more creative in the ways that I help them define their success and encourage them to take action. In the age of social media, most people do a lot of talking but not a lot of doing. I look forward to encouraging my students to implement more action tools to put their thoughts and words into motion.

What’s your favorite part about being a success advisor?

Honestly, watching my students achieve their goals and not only be successful but feel successful. A lot of our wants and needs come from feeling. Nobody cares about what kind of car you’re driving–it’s about how you feel when you drive. I look forward to and enjoy watching my students find that within themselves. Helping them on that journey fulfills me a lot.

Do you have any advice for students?

Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and ask questions. You have to be brave enough to sound foolish at times otherwise you won’t learn anything or go anywhere.

What are some things you like to do for fun?

I like to walk my dog, Beans, sing, cook, and hang out with friends.

Our college offers a variety of support services for students. Learn more about how Student Success Advising and Career Services can help you.