Checking in with students is at the top of Rita Lester鈥檚 daily to-do list.
鈥淭eaching is the side job,鈥 said Lester, Professor of Religion. 鈥淭he advising is what I love.鈥
Lester has been named Faculty Advisor of the Year for the 2019-2020 academic year. Student nominators said they see Lester often and when they don鈥檛, they can always expect a message from her in their email inboxes.
鈥淭he thought of an advisor who you see once a semester for 20 minutes is foreign to me,鈥 said one student nominator. 鈥淚f I didn鈥檛 see Dr. Lester for a few days, I would get a 鈥榡ust checking to see if you are good鈥 email from her.鈥
Those check-ins proved to be critical last spring when SM论坛 switched to distance learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lester called each of her advisees during their time away to make certain they were doing ok.
鈥淨uite honestly, I don鈥檛 know where I would be without Dr. Rita Lester as my academic advisor,鈥 said another student nominator.