By Sofia Cabrera

Although she is the most recent addition to the English advising team, Hannah Beth Ragland knows her way around Florida State University’s campus. In 2016, Ragland graduated from FSU with her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature.

Ragland’s role in advising involves helping students make decisions about their schedules and academic paths and working with faculty to manage and make decisions about curriculum and program requirements.

After a few years working at the Midtown Reader, a Tallahassee independent bookstore, Ragland returned to FSU and earned her master's degree in Higher Education Administration.

“My experience in the Higher Education graduate program gave me the opportunity to work for different departments at the university,” Ragland says, reflecting on her time in school.

Through her work as a graduate assistant for that program, Ragland was able to talk with FSU students, learn about their interests and goals, and engage in forward-looking conversations. Not only had she taken many of the courses the students were taking, but she also made connections with the students on an emotional level.

“I too experienced some of the anxieties and difficult decisions that our students face along the way,” Ragland says.

As such, Ragland fell in love with advising, and she wanted to give back to the department that gave her such a strong foundation for her career.

“Finding an open position as an Academic Program Specialist for FSU’s English department felt like it was meant to be,” Ragland states.

Throughout her short time as an advisor, Ragland has continued to learn valuable lessons from the students and people she works with in the department. She offers advice to freshmen who just started their journey at FSU.

“Get involved and recognize that involvement looks different for everyone, which is okay,” she says.

Ragland can relate to a first-year student’s experience as she too learned how to get involved on campus. For her, she waited until senior year to find other ways to feel connected at FSU.

“Involvement includes launching research, creating projects with friends and classmates, having a job on or off campus, going to office hours, and getting to know your professors,” she adds.

She understands the importance of finding clubs and activities that spark one’s curiosity and excitement. Once students are involved, they can then build on the skills gained from campus experiences.

“Learning to recognize and articulate your skills will continue to serve you well, regardless of your personal path,” Ragland says, advice she regularly offers to graduating seniors.

Her time in advising has shown her how each student’s college experience is unique, including her own.

“Although we all attend the same university,” Ragland says, “each student brings their own past experiences with them when they come to our campus.”

Students can visit Ragland in her office in the Williams Building. She not only enjoys advising them, but she also truly appreciates hearing about each student’s unique qualities and what motivates them as they study.

Sofia Cabrera is an English major, on the literature, media, and culture track, with a minor in education.

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