In October, Alejandro Alaniz ’18 led a full day workshop for Department Student Advisors and Career Advisors focused on the conversations they have every day with students who are sorting through majors, purpose, and belonging.

Connecting Interests to Learning

The morning began with the idea of hidden intellectualism, based on Gerald Graff’s work about the thinking students already do in their everyday interests. Graff’s claim: “Students are often more intellectual than they realize; the problem is not that they lack intelligence but that they have not found topics that ignite their minds.”

Alejandro shared his own example of travel planning and how it helped him build skills in research, cultural learning, and problem solving long before he realized those skills connected to academic and professional paths. He told the group that the goal was to think about “what it means to connect your own story and curiosity to the way you support other students.” Advisors then spent time reflecting on the interests and experiences that shape how they already learn and make sense of the world.

From Wicked Problems to Field of Study

Next, the group worked with the idea of wicked problems. These are the complex real world issues that cross disciplines and do not have simple solutions. This framing encouraged advisors to move beyond the question of “What should my major be” and toward a broader sense of “What field of study helps me explore the problems I care about.” Advisors looked at how their classes, experiences, and questions form larger themes and how those themes can help students build more connected paths through their time at K.

Investigative Inquiry and Storytelling

After lunch, the workshop shifted to investigative inquiry. Advisors practiced asking questions that help them understand how people think about their work and why they do it. They each drafted one big question tied to their own field of study and talked about when students might use this type of inquiry instead of a traditional career conversation.

Later in the afternoon, the focus moved to storytelling. DSAs shared short, honest accounts of their own paths and named the strengths they heard in each other’s stories. The activity gave advisors a chance to think about how sharing real experiences can help students feel less alone in their uncertainty.

Putting It Into Practice

To bring the ideas together, advisors worked through a few student scenarios. The point was not to find perfect solutions but to practice listening well, asking thoughtful questions, and helping students take a next step that makes sense for them.

At the end of the workshop, Alejandro summed up the day by saying, “I left feeling so proud of these student leaders and their commitment to helping their peers find belonging and purpose here at K.”

It was a good chance for DSAs to step back, reflect, and strengthen the way they show up for their peers. We look forward to continuing this important work with our departmental student advisors!