Nicole McIntyre

Nicole McIntyre, an Intake Adviser for the Office of Undergraduate Advising in the College of Letters & Science,  is one of the first recipients of the Blue Certificate Level for the Advancing Practice series. Read what she has to share below.
How did you find yourself on this career path? 
NM: Academic Advising is the career I always wanted, without knowing it was a viable option. As an undergraduate student here at Cal, I enjoyed being a Peer Adviser for the Psychology department and the College of Letters & Science. In those roles, I explored my love of working with students and being a reliable source of information and support. I was fortunate to foster my advising skills with the fabulous L&S staff and was hired as an Intake Adviser before graduation. 
Do you have advice for the advising community?
NM: One of the biggest barriers to service is a student feeling uncomfortable or intimidated by their advising office. Therefore, as a service  provider, I place great emphasis on treating students with respect, compassion, and empathy.  Social work practice embraces the idea of "unconditional positive regard" and I find this to be an inspiring goal for any Adviser. I  would like all students to leave our interactions feeling that they matter.
What was your favorite session of Advancing Practice?
NM: It's hard to pick a favorite, as I've enjoyed them all. The one that resonated the most with me was Aaron Cohen and Paige Lee's presentation on scanning for wellness and working with students in distress. I learned a lot and found it to be incredibly appropriate to my work. Most importantly, it caused me to reflect on my practice, and think about different methods I may use to work with distressed students in the future. Additionally, Heather Peng did a fabulous job role-playing the Adviser. 

Nicole McIntyre