By Jess Clarke
Poole College of Management’s advising office is home to a team of talented, enthusiastic and engaged advisors who are committed to helping Poole students succeed – inside and outside the classroom. Get to know a bit about Stephanie Reiley, one of our academic advisors.
Q&A with Stephanie Reiley
Tell me about your role within Poole College’s office of undergraduate advising.
I help students make sure they are on the right path and plan classes to get their degree. I also help students if they’re on academic difficulty and need extra guidance and time management. I get them connected to resources if needed. Our ultimate goal is to help students reach graduation.
I’m also the adviser for Poole Peer Leaders, students who serve as mentors…to help new students transition into NC State and Poole, and I teach the Personal and Professional Identity Development course that’s required for all Poole undergraduates.
There are a lot of obstacles that come up, and I enjoy helping students get through them. I feel genuine joy when students reach their degree goal. Graduation is one of my favorite days of the year!
What are your top 5 CliftonStrengths?
Individualization, Learner, Input, Developer, Context
What brought you to Poole?
My first job was in housing on a campus. I went to graduate school to study higher education administration, and then I was a Residence Hall Director. My favorite part was interacting with students. During the Covid pandemic, I was asked to serve in the additional role of success coach. I liked coaching, and the Poole posting for an academic adviser seemed like a good next step. What sucked me in was the people at Poole. Because of the team model, we are very collaborative, and it is a supportive group with a common goal of working with students.
What did you want to be growing up?
I wanted to be a singer or actress when I was really young then I wanted to be an author…But what I loved about high school is the interactions I had with my peers. I really liked having leadership positions in organizations in high school…As an undergraduate, I worked as a freshman mentor then became an RA, and my senior year I was an assistant residence hall director. These opportunities led to a graduate assistantship in housing that paid for my master’s degree. Working now in a mentor-type role is a good fit for everything I’ve done in the past, and I am loving working with Poole students!
What do you appreciate most about working with students?
I like getting to know what motivates students, what their hobbies are, what they want to do with their lives. It’s fun to work with students who are eager to learn and have goals. And to help others who may not feel they have as much direction is something I really like to do as well…That’s an opportunity for us to get them connected to resources they need and help them learn more about themselves, so they can grow as positive members of society.
If you had to give a piece of advice to a student just starting out in Poole, what would you tell them?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. A lot of our students come in nervous and feel as if they’re already behind — this is not true. It’s important to get connected with all your campus resources. Be OK with being a little awkward. Don’t let that stop you!
Tell us a bit about your life outside of Poole.
I really enjoy reading by bodies of water. It’s like meditation for me. I also hang out with my cat and volunteer at a cat shelter. And I like doing creative projects like crafts.
Sometimes I read three books at once: historical fiction, fantasy, contemporary romance and nonfiction.
What is something your colleagues or Poole students might not know about you?
I’m an open book, but when you lead as extroverted, sometimes people don’t know there are times when you can be anxious or awkward. I just kind of push through it. If something embarrassing happens, at least it’s a good story to tell later…And I need quiet time more often than people think when they first meet me.
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