🎙️ Empowering Students & Advisors with Aysha Haq

In this episode of Emerging Voices, Matt and Bri sit down with the inspiring Aysha Haq, a passionate advisor and leader with over 25 years of experience in higher education across the U.S. and Canada. From her start at the University of Washington to her current role as Degree Advisor at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Aysha shares her journey, her love for helping students find their path, and how she empowers both students and advisors to thrive.

Tune in for stories of unexpected conference connections, what makes advising at a polytechnic so unique (hint: it involves horses 🐎 and cars 🚗), and how football fandom sneaks into her advising philosophy. Whether you’re curious about the NACADA Emerging Leaders Program or just love hearing about advisors who make a difference, this episode is packed with encouragement, laughter, and a whole lot of heart.

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

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🎙️ Emerging Voices: From TRiO to Trailblazer – Featuring Aric Faulkner

In this inspiring episode, Matt and Bri sit down with Aric Faulkner, academic advisor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Grainger College of Engineering. From his early days in the TRiO Upward Bound program to teaching ESL and now guiding future engineers, Aric’s journey is all about mentorship, resilience, and paying it forward.

He shares how his experiences shaped his passion for advising, the lessons he’s learned from his special-needs pup 🐾, and why confidence, compassion, and community are the keys to student success. We also dive into his adventures in the NACADA Emerging Leaders Program, his advice for new advisors, and his dreams for the future of academic advising.

If you’re looking for a mix of heart, humor, and hope, this episode will leave you motivated to invest in students!

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

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Meet Kate Earnhardt—academic advisor at the University of Nebraska Omaha, Roman-history superfan, and proud cat mom to the incomparable Frank N Beans. Kate shares how a NACADA webinar on her second day in the job lit a fire for professional development, why advising adult and contemporary learners feels like solving a joyful credit jigsaw, and how a recent ADHD diagnosis reshaped her practice and her advocacy for neurodivergent advisors and students. We also dive into her Emerging Leaders Program journey, bold goals for building community, and the hill she’ll die on: take your lunch break.

In this episode:

• Tough-love meets big-sister energy: Kate’s “advising chameleon” approach
• ADHD myth-busting and practical ways to design an ecosystem that works
• Inside UNO’s Division of Continuing Studies and the art of puzzle-piecing credit
• ELP milestones, Region 6 shoutouts, and turning a talk into a workshop

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

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Join Bri and Matt as they welcome Jing Yao, an academic advisor within University of British Columbia's Faculty of Arts whose journey runs from teaching test-prep in China to immigration advising, community college work at Douglas, and now student success at a research university. Jing opens up about empathetic advising, navigating academic concessions, supporting students after withdrawals, and helping students find majors that actually fit. She also shares how maternity leave has not paused her growth as well as leveling up in NACADA’s Emerging Leaders Program!

You’ll hear:

• Two-year vs. four-year advising—what truly changes (and what doesn’t)
• Practical language for hard conversations that restore confidence
• Real talk on redefining “your best” as a parent and professional
• How to turn curiosity into leadership, writing, and proposals that stick

A warm, hopeful episode packed with strategy and a Canadian sparkle ✨.

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

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🎙️ 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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