Leslie Armstrong has been working with college students for nearly twenty years, having discovered her passion while a student at Mississippi State University. During her junior year of college, she began volunteering in the accessibility office. There she realized that working with students on a college campus was something she wanted to do as a career. She completed a graduate program in Student Development in Higher Education and has worked with college students ever since except for a 15-year break to stay home with her children.

“I love working directly with students and watching how each individual progresses from our first contact through graduation,” Leslie said.

Advising is more than approving a student’s class schedule each semester. Advising plays a role in promoting student success and retaining students. Advisors who can connect with students help those students become engaged, and the students are then more likely to make good choices that move them toward graduation and careers or graduate school.

“You have to care about students, but you also have to care about the department, college and university which you represent,” she explained. “Part of being a good advisor is ensuring university standards are upheld and applied consistently."

Degrees and Certifications

• BBA, Mississippi State University
• MS, Mississippi State University