Gabby Strzalkowski

What is your advising philosophy? I approach advising as a holistic endeavor. I believe that each student's experience in LSA is not only an opportunity for academic growth, but also an opportunity for professional, personal, and social growth as well. As an advisor, I strive to provide inclusive and equitable support to all LSA students as they pursue their passions, overcome challenges, and engage in self-exploration throughout their college experience.

What was your path to Newnan? Before joining Newnan, I held a variety of roles in education; I was a high school teacher, an undergraduate admissions counselor, and a project coordinator for international programs before becoming an academic advisor. Throughout my previous experiences, I mostly interacted with students as they prepared to begin college, and I found myself wishing I could continue to support students throughout their entire educational journey. As a University of Michigan alum, I knew I wanted to return to Ann Arbor to give back to this amazing campus community as an academic advisor, and Newnan was a perfect fit!

Why did you join Newnan? From day one, it was evident that everyone at Newnan is passionate about student success. The enthusiasm and dedication of my co-workers is contagious, and I knew I wanted to surround myself with that kind of energy. Being a part of such a hard-working, knowledgeable, and compassionate community of people inspires me to strengthen my own advising practice so that I can be an effective support system and advocate for all LSA students.

Class you loved and why? During my undergraduate experience, I took English 467, a course dedicated to exploring Shakespeare's Hamlet. Rather than reading a high volume of literature, our only reading assignment for the semester was to read Hamlet together during class. Believe it or not, it took us the entire semester to read the play because we would analyze each sentence in such depth, discussing our various interpretations and theories at length. Because the reading took place during class, our homework each week was to watch a different movie version of Hamlet, which was very enjoyable. I had never before familiarized myself with a text so thoroughly, and it was a lot of fun! To this day, I am always able to answer Hamlet questions correctly when they come up on Jeopardy.

Interests and hobbies I love hiking and camping, especially in the U.P.! Musical theatre is also a passion of mine; I have seen over 30 different musicals! I also enjoy reading, yoga, coffee, learning about astrology, listening to Taylor Swift music, and hanging out with my cat, Jolene.