Christina Pasana is the new Graduate Advisor and Academic Coordinator for ColoradoSPH at CSU. She is a San Diego native who decided it was time to trade the ocean for the mountains in 2020 and joined the ColoradoSPH team in late February. She received her BA in Sociology from San Diego State University and her MA in Organizational Leadership from Chapman University.

Christina has been working in the education field for about 20 years; as a literacy tutor, an administrative assistant, an admissions representative, and as an undergraduate and graduate academic advisor for the last 13 years.

“These positions were held at institutions that offered different levels of education (city funded educational program, community college, 4-year university); which provided me the opportunity to grow as an educational advocate while working with students from various backgrounds” she said.

Most recently, Christina was a member of the San Diego Education Consortium, whose main focus was promoting higher education within the community; mainly at local community colleges and military bases. Along with multiple speaking engagements at local businesses and Chamber of Commerce events, she has also been involved with various committees in the University setting (schools and colleges, admissions, registrar) collaborating on new initiatives to align processes and projects within the various departments.

 

Advising philosophy

An advisor can help enhance a student’s education experience by being available for appointments, being an active listener, opening up the conversation beyond academic logistics, and being a student’s educational partner in accomplishing the common goal of program completion. Christina values building meaningful relationships with her students.  If she can make a meaningful difference in a student’s educational journey, it will help them in achieving their ultimate goals.

“It is my goal to become an integral part of the student’s experience, be there as a source of support and provide direction on an ongoing basis.  Focusing on a student’s needs can be demonstrated by offering care and concern, providing needed information, and helping students avoid problems” she said.

 

Perks of the job

Christina is motivated by the different student interactions, perspectives and personalities that she encounters throughout the semester. One of her favorite things about the advisor role is being there from the beginning and watching students graduate.

“All students look forward to graduation and when a student approaches that milestone, it is an exciting time not only for the student, but for me as well.  I have the opportunity to work with students from the beginning to the end of their program and see their academic growth during that time.  Seeing the smiles and knowing how much they had gone through to reach the goal of completing a program is a very satisfying feeling for an advisor” she said.

Student resource

Christina started her new job right as they COVID-19 pandemic was developing and did not have much time to meet with students in-person before the stay-at-home order was in place for Larimer County. However, she wants students to know that she is available not just as a source for academic support, but also as a source of encouragement, motivation, and guidance. She is currently conducting all appointments through Zoom and you can email her at Christina.Pasana@colostate.edu to set up an appointment, even if it’s just to introduce yourself.

“I enjoy conversation and getting to know students. We can share stories, find commonalities, and teach each other new things.  Add in a little humor and we are off to a great start!”

Written by Megan Jansson