Blanca Eliopulos
Health Sciences: Academic Advisor
CSUN Alumna: Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, MA
Admitted into Doctoral Program in Education Leadership for Fall, 2019
Blanca Eliopulos is an Academic Advisor for the Department of Health Sciences. She is also a CSUN alumna, with her Master of Arts in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from California Lutheran University, with a Minor in Spanish.
She said she was led to advising by way of working as a college counselor at a charter high school for grades 9-12 and that she had also been an admissions counselor and recruiter at a private university. She said working one-on-one with students was a natural next step for her.
In her current role, she works with students in a variety of ways. Some she sees only once or a few times a semester and others come in regularly to update her on their progress. Some she stays with through their degree programs, as their needs suggest. “Essentially, I ensure that the student knows their program well enough to take the right classes in sequence to graduate from CSUN in a timely fashion. I advise students from sophomores through senior level,” she said. “I help them really understand their DPR, [Degree Progress Report], what courses they need and options they have, and specifically, I assist with any issues they may have with CSUN academic policies.”
Advising is a form of teaching; as the student learns to navigate their degree program, they become empowered. Eliopulos described her favorite elements of her work: “It’s great when a light bulb goes on and a student understands how to create their own academic plans to fit their schedules. My favorite thing is when a student asks me, ‘am I going to graduate soon?’ and I can say ‘yes, you are!’ It’s like they don’t believe it because they have been working so hard towards their goal and it’s finally within reach. They leave my office so happy.”
On a typical morning, Eliopulos meets briefly with department staff to check for students with appointments and then begins her advising schedule, responding to as many emails and messages as possible and checking in with the department for any pertinent information. She sees students throughout the day. “You will find a long line of students out my door during my walk in hours,” Eliopulos said. She may be helping students work through degree programs to graduate or helping them overcome challenges such as improving grades to rise up from probationary status.
“The most challenging aspect of my job is delivering bad news or information that the student may perceive as bad,” Eliopulos said. “One of my duties is to help students understand academic policies; there are times when a student is hoping to do something like change their major into a Health Sciences program. If they are eligible it’s easy, but if the student is not eligible I have to tell them that they cannot change their major. Understandably, they are disappointed with the outcome, and sometimes they are upset with me. That’s not easy, but it’s part of the job to understand how they feel.”
As an advisor, Eliopulos works closely with the Graduation Retention Specialists in the Dean’s office, Miguel Hernandez and Joanne Moreno. “They continue to share their advising expertise with me and are always helpful when I call them with an issue I cannot resolve on my own,” she said, “They have really supported me from the beginning. There is also a Graduation Advisor in Admissions and Records who I rely on and call quite a bit, Anika Usher. We have not met in person but she has been wonderful in helping me resolve student issues,” She said adding that the Health Sciences faculty and staff are also supportive. “They know how to manage the flow of students and this is crucial. I would be remiss if I didn’t thank Mario Lopez in the SSC/EOP [Student Services Center/Educational Opportunity Program] who is always helpful when I call him with EOP and special student questions.”
The College of Health and Human Development has a four-pillar foundation of success for students, employees, and in research and reputation. Eliopulos’ advising work, while it leads her to daily success as an employee, also strengthens the pillar of student success as she enhances their ability and confidence on campus to carry into their professional lives. And her professional trajectory is going strong, too. She has recently been admitted into the CSUN Education Leadership Doctoral Program for Fall, 2019. She said that although she is a little nervous, she's excited about this next phase, "because I feel like it's perfect for what I aspire to do."
All in all, Eliopulos says she sees herself as a small block in the foundation of a student’s academic success. “I try to help them learn their academic program so that they may focus on managing their life circumstances so to be successful in school. In the bigger scheme of things, I help people graduate from college and become members of the labor force, many of whom help improve their own families and communities,” she said.
Su 2019
Jean O'Sullivan/College of HHD