Adviser Finds Rewards in Students’ Successes

By Leslie Cranford,Section Manager

As an academic adviser in TTU K-12, Taylor Silvas works with a variety of students, from elementary age to adult learners. Each student and family has different goals and needs from an adviser. But for Taylor, the one thing they have in common is expecting her guidance to help them be successful. She takes that role extremely seriously.

Taylor’s first encounter with working around children came as a teenager while volunteering during the summers.

“I volunteered at Muscular Dystrophy Association summer camp from the age of 16 to 22 and loved it so much,” she said. “I just knew I wanted to work with kids in some capacity. I have several family members who work in education as well.”

Prior to her employment with TTU K-12, Taylor worked in education for five years. She was at Brownfield High School as a family and consumer sciences (FCS) teacher. She then transitioned into higher education and was a coordinator for Texas Tech’s Family and Consumer Sciences Education Department. Taylor said FCS really ignited her interest in counseling in education.

 

“I was really drawn to that aspect of education. When I saw the opening for the adviser position, I knew I had to apply,” she said.

In her adviser role, Taylor evaluates transcripts, enrolls students in classes and ensures students are meeting graduation requirements, among many other day-to-day tasks that add up to student success. She is also the adviser for the TTU K-12 adult learning program, in which nearly 100 students are enrolled either in the GED or the diploma track.

But among all the small and large, mundane or important responsibilities she handles, seeing students thrive in an online learning environment is her biggest reward. She encourages her students, no matter what age, to take pride in their own triumphs and achievements.

“I tell them to celebrate the little victories. Even if an accomplishment seems small, be proud in your abilities,” Taylor said, her eyes beaming.