Over 1,000 miles separate the city of Colorado Springs, Colorado from The University of Alabama (UA). There are plenty of universities and colleges between here and there, but UA junior and Colorado Springs native Victoria Aguilar only felt at home at the Capstone.
“I toured 32 different schools altogether, and nothing else spoke to me the same way UA did,” she said.
For each UA freshman, Bama Bound is the welcoming party and orientation to all things UA. At Bama Bound, students and their families split up into student orientation and parent and family orientation. The incoming students meet their new peers, confirm class schedules and meet their advisors, while the family members hear from parent ambassadors (now called Avantis) – liaisons between families and the University – about anything and everything they need to know regarding their student’s health, safety, well-being and general transition to college life at UA.
Victoria remembers that the Avantis had been helpful resources for her mother and answered all her questions, putting her at ease and allowing her to enjoy the Bama Bound experience without any worries.
“I had so many questions, but when I expressed these worries to my mom, she was able to answer them and tell me about everything she learned. Thanks to that, I knew where to go in emergencies, how to join different organizations and how to find important parts of campus. That genuinely made me feel that I was going to be ok and flourish.”
This experience inspired her; she wanted to help other families transition to the UA family and find comfort in knowing their student will be supported while they’re away from home. So, she joined the office of Parent and Family Programs (PFP) in the Division of Student Life as a Avanti herself after her freshman year.
“I wanted to impact families in the way that parent ambassadors [Avantis] impacted me,” she explained.
Victoria explained how a student’s transition to college is a monumental change for everyone in the family, and what that meant for her and other Avantis as they supported newcomers at the Capstone.
“It’s very important to reach all types of parents and families. . . It’s a huge step to come to college as a student, and it impacts everyone in the student’s life. To know that the parents and families of the new UA students are going to be okay is a huge part of our role.”
The next year, Victoria also took on some leadership responsibilities, serving as the student coordinator of the Avanti team. She’s the team leader for the Avantis and helps out in their recruitment and selection process as well. This year, she took on the new role of executive student coordinator and served PFP with one more Bama Bound season.
Victoria evolved from a leader into a mentor and her role within PFP became much more akin to a part-time professional staff member while still being a student employee! This progression gave her opportunities to greatly enhance several professional workplace aptitudes as she developed skills in team leadership, problem solving, communication, talent recruitment, project management, time management and more.
“Taking a switch from a leader to a mentor – and mentoring other leaders – is huge. Being a player and a coach are two significantly different things. It’s very important to. . . let our Avanti leaders grow as individuals and see how they can make our community better,” she said.
She also expressed her gratitude for her fellow colleagues and peers within Student Life, and how their presence adds to her enthusiasm for her work.
“Student Life is a big happy family; we all care for each other. Regardless of how big or small your area is, everyone is supportive of each other and genuine about it. The professional staff know you by name and are personable with all of us. Even the little things like saying hello to someone you know in passing just makes it all better,” she said.
Victoria’s drive to welcome incoming family groups with hospitality and to reassure them that their students will be safe and supported on campus is an important component of the welcome experience. She finds this work rewarding because family matters most to her.
“Family means everything to me,” she explained. “It roots back to who I am. So, my favorite part of my job without fail is finding a parent with a million questions and sitting down with them to answer those. Seeing the transformation from a stressed parent to a content one makes me so happy. I genuinely love making an impact on their lives so they can excel as members of the UA family.”
It may be far from where she grew up, but Victoria definitely made a home for herself at UA. And in a true spirit of hospitality, she’s welcomed thousands of other families to make themselves home at the Capstone.