Every semester, students struggle to figure out where they are in their academic journey and what courses to pursue. That is where academic advisors like Katie Hixson come in to put students on the right track. As an advisor, her role at Texas A&M University – Texarkana is to assist all undergraduates in graduating through “timely academic planning,” she says. This includes meeting with students regularly to discuss where they are at in their academic career, and where they are going.

Hixson has 8 years of experience in academic advising, career academic counseling, recruitment, and retention planning as well. “I have provided, identified, analyzed, and solved problems and successfully handled conflict resolution in assigned areas,” she says. While it may sound like a stressful job, she says that being able to empower students to work toward their academic and career goals and being able to mentor them fuels her motivation.

One of her favorite parts of the job is witnessing students’ journeys. She says, “I enjoy helping and guiding students from their first step on campus and watching them walk across the stage at graduation.” She has found her career fulfilling, and as a result, strongly recommends any job in higher education. For those looking to pursue a future in education, she says “to connect with resources on campus to broaden their own connections and develop self-sufficiency.”

At the end of the day, Hixson just wants students to live their best lives. She says her message to every student would be, “Always remember to find your ‘Why’ and to begin with the end in mind. Look inside yourself and discover what your philosophy is and design your short- and long-term goals when tackling any new endeavors.”

Texas A&M University of Texarkana (TAMUT) student Christian Cuellar is in his second semester at the university. Besides working on his major in software engineering, Cuellar’s focus on campus has been finding ways to contribute to the community. “I’ve always wanted to just try and do good for the environment or others.” He participated in the university’s annual “Big Event” earlier this year where he helped paint houses. He’s also in the process of joining the Circle K International club on campus. He knows the school offers a lot of opportunities for students, and wants to take advantage of more this year.

Cuellar’s motivation to apply himself at TAMUT comes from a lackluster experience at University of Arkansas Hope / Texarkana. “I really didn’t like it there,” he says. Cuellar admits he did not try his best at UAHT, but also puts some blame on the college’s professors. He appreciates how he can better communicate and socialize with his professors at TAMUT. Socialization, according to Cuellar, is a “key aspect of college”. This, of course, extends beyond professors. His involvement in campus clubs and events has led to him making new friends and rekindling relationships with lost friends. He says this has made his college experience more enjoyable, and recommends new students to put themselves out there and create those connections. 

Aside from school, Cuellar also works a labor job at Fastenal. While the job is not comparable to his future in software engineering, he says it has improved his work ethic overall, and thinks the set schedule will be good for any future jobs. To balance having both a job and a full school schedule, Cuellar takes a majority of his classes online. This has helped him plan his schedule out easier. While Cuellar might not have too much free time, he enjoys playing video games, watching TV, and reading books. He hits the gym when he can and otherwise likes to stay home and “chill”.

As for the future, Cuellar is looking for a career he can be passionate about. He’s been enjoying his journey as a software engineer, and wants to use those skills to leave a mark on the world. He isn’t quite sure where he’ll end up settling down, but plans to head to Dallas or wherever there is more opportunity. All he knows for sure is, “I don’t really see myself being in Texarkana all my life.” For now, Cuellar plans to finish his major in software engineering at TAMUT and possibly get a bachelors in physics later down the line. He is also committed to helping out the community whenever possible.