Kansas State University Academic Advising Graduate Programs

Denise Mary Manning
My career began as a high school history teacher in New York City. However, when I moved to Vermont 24 years ago, I began working at Landmark College in Putney, Vermont, a school, which exclusively serves learning disabled students. My earlier positions at the college were numerous, though focused mostly on teaching in the humanities, social sciences, study abroad and advising departments. As an advisor at LMC, I work with students who have ADHD with Executive Functioning difficulties and other learning disabilities.

Presently, I am a student in the K-State Academic Advising Graduate Program. I hope to finish up this summer.

The K-State program has enriched my advising enormously. I often remember student development theories that I have learned in the program in my work with students. The Trends in Career Development class has provided me with information related to helping students determine good career and major “fit”  as well as directing me to online resources to use while helping them in self discovery.

My current class in advising student athletes is prompting me to explore opportunities in working with this population. Hence furthering my professional development in a direction that I previously would never have expected had I not been exposed to the very interesting and alluring information I’m receiving in the class.

One final way in which the program is helping me advance professionally is that being enrolled in an advanced degree program is fulfilling a college based faculty requirement of demonstrating on-going scholarship necessary for me to retain my rank. The K-State Graduate Program has been affordable and accessible. I have been able to move through the program with comfort and ease while still maintaining the same level of commitment and responsibility at home and at work.