Learning by doing: Alyssa Daniels’ higher education journey
Alyssa Daniels’ academic and professional career is branded through her selfless passion for the success of others.
Daniels is a junior and senior academic advisor in the ËÄ»¢Ó°ÊÓ College of Business. Concurrently, Daniels is pursuing a Doctor of Educational Leadership with an emphasis on Educational Technology Innovation.
She began her academic journey by pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in chemistry from Southeast Missouri State University, and a Master of Science in Psychology with an emphasis in visual and cognitive neuroscience from North Dakota State University.
“I chose this path so that I could pursue my research interests related to student learning techniques and understand neurochemistry,” Daniels explained.
After her education, Daniels began her job search.
“During this time, I was looking for jobs anywhere in the state of Texas,” she said.
She landed a position at the ËÄ»¢Ó°ÊÓ Undergraduate Advising Center, advising freshmen and sophomore nursing, engineering, and social science majors.
Later, she wondered what advising would be like for juniors and seniors.
“When I stumbled upon ËÄ»¢Ó°ÊÓ’s human resources website that day, I saw that the College of Business was looking for a junior/senior academic advisor.”
She was selected for the role and continues to serve in that position today. She advises students in accounting, construction management, general business, and all MIS related programs.
Daniels’ dedication to learning is crucial to her success as a student and as an advisor.
“I aim to either become a full-time faculty member or climb the ranks of upper administration,” Daniels replied when asked about her career aspirations. “If I choose the latter path, my hopes are to assist and maintain enrollment management initiatives at an institution of higher education.”
To achieve these goals, Daniels has taken all steps possible to develop a student-centered perspective.
“I must be willing to understand student experiences on campus and have an open mind to the issues they may be encountering,” Daniels said.
As a result, she makes the connection between her current role as an advisor and any future role that she will have in higher education.
With change, challenges often come with it. Daniels did not always come into a role without obstacles. She notes that imposter syndrome is a struggle that she dealt with when she first came to Lamar.
“It took years of growth and self-reflection, but I am proud to say these feelings have almost subsided entirely,” she said. “This, arguably, is one of the accomplishments I am the most proud of.”
As a result, she has come to accomplish many more goals, such as being elected to the ËÄ»¢Ó°ÊÓ Staff Council, serving as the chairperson for the bylaws committee, teaching a section of Cardinal Communities, and getting accepted to the Doctor of Educational Leadership program.
Daniels actively makes ËÄ»¢Ó°ÊÓ stand out as an excellent place to work, by engaging staff with professional development through nomination to the Staff Council.
“I have helped elect staff members across campus into Staff Council and changed the bylaws to allow for smoother operating standards”, she said.
Seeing the university develop and continue to grow is the source of her Cardinal pride.
“I have seen Lamar grow over the past four years in relation to their impact on the community, accessibility, and affordability,” Daniels said.
She is also extremely proud to work for the College of Business, as the opportunities for students to thrive are endless.
“Over the past two years, I have seen the College of Business grow in popularity among students and the opportunities that they offer,” Daniels said.
Throughout her journey at Lamar, there were many moments that stood out to her.
“My favorite moment would be when we celebrated Ms. Paula completing her certificate program at Lamar Institute of Technology,” Daniels recalled. “It was so much fun getting to celebrate her and her accomplishments.”
As an educator, advisor, and doctoral student, seeing a fellow coworker accomplish a major milestone in her life was truly uplifting. It is moments like these that inspires Alyssa to continue her life mission within higher education.
When asked about advice she had for incoming students, she replied, “Life is too short to be spent appeasing others. They need to do what makes their heart happy and never give that up.”
Daniels is excited for the future that she has in higher education, by continuing to inspire students and progressing through her doctoral program.
“I hope to continue growing as an educator, mentor, and academic advisor,” she said.
Her fall semester will be busy as she continues her work, education, and professional development.
“In the upcoming school year, I am planning on attending a few academic advising conferences and earning/gaining more certifications and micro-credentials through LinkedIn Learning,” Daniels excitedly replied when asked about her fall plans. “I look forward to taking more classes in the fall, and maintaining my 4.0 GPA.”