Meet the Team at the CBPP Student Advising Center

by Kurt Robar  |   

Meet the Team at the CBPP Student Advising Center

April 12, 2022

What are the requirements for your program? What order should you take your courses in? How can you navigate 彩神vlll争霸 resources?

The Student Advising Center, commonly known as SAC, provides answers to these questions and more. Advisors play a huge role in guiding students through the programs offered by CBPP, whether an occupational endorsement certificate or a Bachelor of Business Administration.

In this article, we will introduce you to the SAC team members, who are there to help you throughout your CBPP undergraduate journey. Learn about their backgrounds, advice and how to get in touch!

The team at SAC

Andrea Jones Andrea Jones

Andrea Jones recently became Director of the Student Advising Center. She had been a CBPP academic advisor for six years previously, and before that she was a 彩神vlll争霸 admissions counselor. In that job, she enjoyed traveling around Alaska talking to prospective students, but rarely got to keep in touch once they came to 彩神vlll争霸. She began considering advising so she could work with students throughout their time here.

鈥淚 love to see what students do and where life leads them,鈥� Andrea said. 鈥淭he best moments of my job are when a student tells me they aced that accounting midterm or landed their dream job after graduation. I like to see where their journey at 彩神vlll争霸 takes them and celebrate their accomplishments with them.鈥�

Andrea has a BS in Management from Park University and a MPA from University of Alaska Southeast. During her college career, she had varying experiences: as a full-time traditional freshman living on campus, a transfer/military dependent student and a part-time school/full-time working student. 鈥淚 can relate to many of the struggles students go through. I hope I can be of support and encouragement to the students I get to work with.鈥�

Andrea came to Alaska eleven years ago after growing up in Illinois. She enjoys spending time camping and fishing in the summer and her winter hobbies include hibernating and watching Netflix (some favorites are The Office and Outlander.) She also enjoys spending time with her dog and two cats.

Martha Massey Martha Massey

Martha Massey has been an academic advisor with SAC for more than eleven years. Previously, she had worked for the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education, but wanted to work more directly with students and help them through their degree completion.

Working as an academic advisor is especially gratifying when she sees students overcome setbacks to reach the finish line. Before moving to Alaska, Martha lived in Missouri and Indiana. She holds a BBA in Management from the University of Notre Dame. When she鈥檚 not helping students out at SAC, she enjoys hiking, walking and swimming.

Sharon Pruszko Sharon Pruszko

Sharon Pruszko joined CBPP last fall, after three years as a 彩神vlll争霸 First Year Advisor. She enjoys helping students navigate a challenging system. As she says, 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard being a student!鈥� Sharon鈥檚 interest in student advising began during summers working for the Rural Alaska Honors Institute at UAF. 鈥淚 really enjoyed the one to one connections with students in a higher education setting, by building confidence, setting goals and coaching through educational experiences.鈥�

Sharon was born in Pittsburgh and graduated from Penn State University. Outside of work she loves skiing (backcountry and xcountry), backpacking, mountain biking, gardening, sewing, teaching her Australian Shepard sweet tricks, and cooking. She recently read Untamed by Glennon Doyle and listened to the audiobook Originals by Adam Grant.

Martha Massey, Andrea Jones, and Sharon Puszko (left to right) Martha Massey, Andrea Jones, and Sharon Puszko

Sage Advice鈥�

Get the most from your 彩神vlll争霸/CBPP experience with these tips from your advisors!!

Martha
  • Get involved with campus events and CBPP clubs.
  • Take advantage of our wonderful faculty expertise and be engaged in class.
  • Work with advisors and faculty to stay on track and help problem solve.
Sharon
  • Network! Build those relationships with your professors and classmates. Down the line they can be a reference or connection to a job you've been wanting (both have happened to me!)
  • Take advantage of all the amazing clubs that 彩神vlll争霸 has to offer. It is such a great way to build community.
Andrea
  • Get involved! The best way to maximize your experience at 彩神vlll争霸 is to engage with the 彩神vlll争霸 community in whatever way you can. Join a club/student government, go to events, talk to your professors and fellow students. There will likely never be another time in your life with more opportunities at your fingertips than during college. Take advantage of them!
  • Take advantage of faculty office hours. Building relationships with at least a few of the professors in your major is important. It is very likely you鈥檒l need a letter of recommendation for a scholarship or internship at some point. You鈥檒l be glad you have a professor or two you know well enough to ask for a recommendation. Same with joining a student club; they offer great networking opportunities and chances to make friends with similar interests.

Getting in touch with SAC

  • Email sac@alaska.edu or send a message directly to your preferred advisor. Email response times are typically one business day (possibly two during registration week).
  • Call (907) 786-4100. If there is no answer, advisors are working with other students. Leave a voicemail and you鈥檒l get a call back.
  • Schedule an advising appointment online in Seawolf Tracks