An Interview with Sandy Waters, 2015 Region 2 Keynote Speaker

In just a little over two weeks, the NACADA 2015 Region 2 Conference will be well underway, and on Thursday, March 19^th, we will be treated to what is sure to be a great keynote address by Ms. Sandy Waters. 

I chatted with Sandy to get a little insight on her advising career, her time in NACADA, and some insights into her keynote… Enjoy the sneak peek!

How did you first get started in advising and NACADA?

My first experience in academic advising was participating in a job-share when my girls were very young, beginning in 1990.  I was fortunate enough to have met the advisor for ODU’s Electrical and Computer Engineering major, who also had a young child and wanted to work part-time.  She convinced the department chair that she could share her job with some else.  Having served as the assistant registrar at the time, I had skills with class scheduling, registration, and graduation processes that the department wanted.  Prior to working at ODU, I had been a newspaper reporter and the department chair wanted to produce a newsletter, so I could do that, too.  The rest is history!

Do you recall your first NACADA event?

My first NACADA event was in 1991.  My job-share partner learned about a conference just for academic advisors that was being held in Atlanta, GA that year.  We submitted our very first proposal and it was accepted!  We were so excited because, at that time, there were not many professional advisors in academic departments at our institution and we felt that we’d be able to learn a lot from others.  Plus, to be honest, we were two exhausted moms who thought a few days away from home and work would do us a lot of good!  It was a chance to refresh personally and professionally.

What is your best/proudest/most memorable “advising moment” to date?

There have been so many great moments in my career at ODU, with my work on behalf of transfer students in Virginia, and with NACADA that it is difficult to select just one.  But, to attempt to narrow this down, I’d say that I am most proud of just being a part of the larger collective of wonderful, enthusiastic higher education professionals who share NACADA’s Core Values and have raised the bar on what it means to each student to have a strong advising program on our campuses.  We talk about the power that one great conversation with a student in crisis can have—but to know that what we say can change the course of someone’s life is very powerful stuff.

Can you tell us a little about your keynote address and the inspiration behind it?

This keynote is giving me an opportunity to bring two of the things I am most passionate about together—advising and art.  “The Fine Art of Advising” is truly how I would describe what we do.  Just as the artist continually practices different techniques, uses different tools, and takes classes to learn from others, we as advisors try different methodologies, get new technology to help us manage student information, and attend conferences to learn from others.  My Myers-Briggs personality type (ENFP) will be coming out with this presentation!

What do you hope our fellow NACADA members will take away from your keynote and this event?

I feel inspired whenever I learn something new, whether for art or advising, so I am hoping that the address will be entertaining and fun, and continue the conference theme of enRICHment! 

I hope you enjoy this quick interview and I look forward to seeing you all in Richmond this month!

-Morgan Morrison, 2015 conference co-chair

You can check out some of Sandy’s art online: www.facebook.com/sandywatersart