Maria Raab

What is your advising philosophy? As an advisor, my goal is to aid students to be able to achieve their academic, professional, and personal goals. I want to ensure students that someone cares about their experience and is rooting for them to succeed. Part of my role is to challenge my students to go outside their comfort zone. If they do not reach out for new experiences and opportunities, they could be missing out on something that could truly benefit them.

What was your path to Newnan? It was my last year in undergrad and I was still clueless about what I saw myself doing. I went outside my comfort zone and worked in an inbound study abroad program for the summer working with students from Shanghai Normal University. I absolutely loved the experience and it led me to a study abroad peer advisor position for the next academic year. I knew then that I wanted to continue this path in higher education. After graduating from Saginaw Valley State University, I went straight into my master’s program at Grand Valley State University. I had a two-year assistantship in academic advising and completed a year-long internship with TRiO-STEM. I knew that I wanted to continue with academic advising and be a resource for students.

Why did you join Newnan? I joined Newman because of how passionate the whole team is to serve our students. As a new higher education professional, I knew that I would be surrounded by great mentors. I love being able to connect with my students and be a support system for them.

Class you loved and why? My last year in undergrad, I took my first communication course at Saginaw Valley. The course examined how culture impacts communication. I really enjoyed this class because we were able to discuss topics about identity and the influences that impact how an individual sees themselves. It helped me understand others as well as myself.

Interests and hobbies: When I have free time, I enjoy exploring new places and trying new restaurants. Of course, I have to find some good dog-friendly places to bring along my dog Milo. I am always eager to hear about new places to check out. If you ever have recommendations, restaurants or places to check out, don’t hesitate to share them!