The Temple Honors advising staff is dedicated to helping students realize their full potential during their time as a Temple Honors student. We work to understand each individual in a holistic manner. Our practice focuses on helping students discover their passions, chart their course, and bring them together to prepare for whatever comes next. Below you can gain some insight into each of our individual advising philosophies:

Denae Sisco, Assistant Director of Academic Advising:
In advising, I believe that not only must we examine the habits and mindsets of the students themselves, but we must also give equal attention to what is happening in the students’ environments (e.g. their dorm rooms, their chosen study locations, the classroom, etc.) in order to understand the contributors and address barriers to academic success. I also believe strongly in mindfulness practices and work to incorporate them into my advising experiences. Students' lives are often so busy that they don’t have a moment to reflect on what they’re actually feeling, thinking, and doing. Many times I have had a student come to my office in a panic and exclaim, “I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong!” My advice in those moments is always to slow…down… I've found that, if students are able to give a moment or two each day to taking inventory of their feelings and habits, many will find that, contrary to their original belief, all is not lost and success is still attainable.

Shannon Martin, Academic Advisor:
My goal as an academic advisor is to cultivate meaningful and beneficial relationships with my students characterized by trust, understanding, authenticity, empathy, and honesty. And when I say to them “Tell me everything,” I mean it. Tell me about your favorite Star Wars movie. Your calc exam that didn’t go as you planned. Your plans for traveling Europe after studying abroad. I want to listen. Just listening and putting no expectations on what students want to tell me or need from me makes a world of difference.

Jackie Lopez, Academic Advisor:
Above all, I want students to know that someone believes in them and cares about them. I want to affirm their ideas, feelings, aspirations, and wonderings about the world and how they want to be in the world. Overall, I strive to model what I encourage students to do: to continually learn (I consider myself a life-long learner!); remain open, curious, and resourceful; deeply care for themselves, others, and the world; and view experiences and challenges as an opportunity for inner and outer growth.

Frank Ur, Academic Advisor
College can be a wildly hectic experience! There is so much that students want to fit in during their time at Temple that it can feel a bit chaotic. As an Advisor I want to help students through the chaos, I want to know all about all of their accomplishments and struggles. College is a time for exploration, and I want to help students explore their passions whether that be their major, clubs, exploring Philly, and more! I encourage students to lean into the chaos and explore all that college has to offer to better curate the vision for their future.