This month we are showcasing Margaret Mackeverican – Academic Advisor IV, Wayne State University!

What has your career path been like up to this point?

I went to undergrad at Macomb Community College and transferred to Wayne State University (WSU) to study German and Political Science and minor in linguistics. I also did a Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program Congress in Germany. I wanted to advocate for more Americans to study abroad. I wanted to leverage my experience and interests. 

When I earned my degree, I spoke with a friend working in higher education. She shared that I should do a master’s degree and so I pursued a Master of Education in Higher Education Leadership at Oakland University. I did a research assistantship while in that program. I got to explore other pathways and do internships with study abroad and advising. I enjoyed advising a bit more and pursued that after graduate school. 

Relatively shortly after that, I started at WSU in the Department of Public Health. I started as an Academic Advisor II in 2018 and became an Academic Advisor III and eventually gained advisor tenure. I recently was promoted to Academic Advisor IV. 

I won the NACADA Outstanding New Advisor Award in 2020. In 2021, I won Transfer Advising Champion at WSU. This year, I was awarded MIACADA’s Outstanding Academic Advising Award. 

What brings you joy outside of work?

There are many things that bring me joy! I like to travel. I try and do a big trip every year. My first trip presenting abroad was with NACADA in Belgium. Ireland holds a special place for me too. I just got back from Germany and the Christmas markets. I can’t say I have a favorite place though.  

I also love animals and dogs, but don’t have any right now. I enjoy tasting things: beer, wine, coffee, tea and I am foodie. I enjoy experiencing life! 

Of course, my partner Ryan is great and anytime I spend with him brings me joy. 

Your colleagues who nominated you for New Advisor of the Year Award noted your passion for supporting transfer students. What do you do as part of your practice to show care specifically to transfer students?

Being a transfer shaped my passion for ensuring they get support. Most support is geared toward first-year students. Transfer orientations often aren’t as robust.

I look at transcripts to see what hasn’t transferred and advocate for those to be evaluated. For example, an Associates of Applied Science in Firefighting doesn’t transfer but I will advocate for it to be used for general credits or look for ways for it to be applied to their major. I advocate for folks who have credentials to replace minor requirements. Scouring transcripts is the biggest way of advocating for transfer students. They don’t always know I am doing it but working on this in the background ensure they have a good experience. I try to do it for anyone without them having to ask because that creates inequity for those who do ask and I want to be consistent. 

You’ve also been commended for your problem-solving skills. How do you approach problem-solving?

I see a problem and love to solve it. If I see something that tickles my brain, I go in on it. I like to work with students to be creative and think outside the box. Sometimes there isn’t always a solution, and you are working to mitigate the worst-case scenario and come up with ideas for how you can move forward. If there is something we can do to be proactive we will. If not, I will try and do everything I can to make it work for the student as best as possible. 

I may be a pain in the butt to administrators. I also am a pain for our Degree Works administrators if things aren’t working in a way that helps students understand things effectively. 

What has been the highlight of your experience with MIACADA so far?

Being involved in a professional development organization is a highlight when it comes to attending conferences. MIACADA conferences are accessible. I have enjoyed presenting once or twice. My goals are to be able to present at each level. I have presented at MIACADA as well as a national and international conference, but still have to present at a regional. I even earned professional development grants to mitigate the cost of presenting internationally. 

I helped NACADA revamp their e-tutorial called “Theory & Practice of Advising” on advising theory. I am not an expert, but my lens was focused on how accessible it was the first time it was offered. I wanted to make sure it was practical, accessible, and digestible. It was hard work, but a fun experience. 

You can also be part of four advising NACADA learning communities with your membership. They each have four to six events per year so you can learn tons. There are niche major based groups, transfer groups, philosophy, history, etc..I am currently part of Social Justice in Advising, Transfer Advising, Theory Philosophy and History, and Advisor Training and Development. You can also join a steering committee if you want to shape a certain learning community. 

What advice would you give to new advising professionals entering the field?

The best thing to do is hit the ground running, find out how to get involved, learn degree requirements, and make connections with co-advisors across campus. Shadow others to learn advising styles until you form one of your own. 

There may be a mentoring program on your campus. I did that my first year with an advisor who had been around a while. You can always have informal mentoring experiences. Introverts may find this all difficult, but folks want to see you be comfortable and confident and succeed.