Nearly a decade ago, a first-year student walked into John Fenelon's office on the verge of tears. She had just learned she hadn't been admitted into Marquette's speech pathology and audiology program - the field she had dreamed of entering since childhood.

Fenelon, an academic advisor in the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences, reassured her there were still paths forward. When the student returned months later - devastated once again after a second denial - Fenelon knew his role went beyond academic planning.

"I knew it was my job to keep that hope alive for her," Fenelon says.

Together, they revisited her academic plan, identified campus resources and arranged a face-to-face meeting with the program director, giving the student an opportunity to share the passion that had drawn her to the field.

That persistence paid off, providing a powerful example of the value of advising at Marquette.

"I will never forget the pure joy she expressed to me when she was officially accepted," he says. "It brought us both to tears. Not only did she complete her undergraduate degree in speech pathology and audiology, but her master's as well. To this day, I get an occasional email from her letting me know how she's doing."

Across Marquette, advising is a broad, campuswide commitment: 75 professional staff advisors and more than 425 faculty advisors work directly with students each year, offering guidance that spans academic planning, professional goals and personal growth.

During Global Advising Week, the university is celebrating the collective impact of this work that plays a critical role in student success. By helping students navigate challenges, stay connected to campus resources and make informed decisions about their paths forward, advisors serve as one of the most consistent points of support throughout the undergraduate experience.

"Advising at its best is relationship-based and takes into account each student's identity not only as someone enrolled at Marquette but also their identities as a family member, friend, employee, volunteer - a person dealing with a multitude of things we may not detect on the surface," says Julie Radford, a student success advising specialist in the College of Nursing.

This emphasis on "holistic" advising, a trademark of Marquette's approach to support, is deeply rooted in the university's Catholic, Jesuit mission.

"Good advising includes caring for the whole student - cura personalis - their academic performance, physical, mental and emotional health, as well as helping them prepare for their next step after graduation," says Julia Schultz, professor of practice of strategic communication and an advisor in the Diederich College of Communication.

Laura Lindemann, John Fenelon, Julie Radford, Alex Milovic, Tina McNamara and Julia Schultz are among the more than 500 faculty and staff members who help guide students as advisors.

Advisors often walk alongside students for years, supporting them through moments of transition, uncertainty and growth at a formative stage of their lives. As Tina McNamara, assistant dean of advising and student services in the College of Education, puts it, many students arrive as "deer in the headlights" freshmen and leave as confident, polished professionals. Schultz, a member of the Diederich College of Communication's first-year advising team, witnesses that full transformation firsthand.

"I'm fortunate to see students when they first start their Marquette adventure, through to their graduation and onto their first job," Schultz says. "It's a joy to see how they've grown intellectually, socially and spiritually during their time at Marquette."

Of course, the journey is far from linear.

"I once had a student say to me, 'I couldn't do your job. We all come in here to crash out,'" shared Laura Lindemann, associate director of academic advising in the Opus College of Engineering. "I learned a new verb to describe what often happens in my office. Advising meetings often begin with a lot of emotion: overwhelm, fear, anxiety, sadness, discouragement, confusion."

For advisors, moments like these are less about having the right answer and more about creating space for students to steady themselves. The work often begins with gentle questions - clarifying what's really behind the stress, helping students put language to what they're experiencing and identifying possible paths forward.

Ultimately, it's about reminding students they aren't alone.

"Advising is part of the Marquette experience," says Dr. Alex Milovic, associate professor of practice of marketing and an advisor in the College of Business Administration. "Going to Marquette means that you are getting a team of employees who want to help make you a better person, both in and out of the classroom."