As the new Director of the Darr College of Agriculture Student Success and Advisement Center, Kimmy Walker brings a wealth of experience and a passion for supporting students.

In a recent interview, Walker shared insights into her own academic and professional journey, as well as her strategies for helping students navigate their paths. Walker’s undergraduate background was in anthropology, which she says, “is all about people, whether current, past, how we’re made up, how we speak to language.” She was particularly drawn to cultural anthropology and “the influence of culture and how we support each other through culture.” This people-centered approach has carried through to her work in academic advising.

Walker first got involved in student support as an undergraduate, working in the career center and later becoming a SOAR (Student Orientation, Advisement, and Registration) leader. She recalls, “I didn’t have a super wonderful SOAR experience, because I was paired with, like, what I thought was the typical SOAR leader, which was like, just super outgoing, super involved in everything, and just wanted to talk all the time, and I was kind of quiet at that point, and it like, was not a good fit.” This experience motivated Walker to become a SOAR leader herself, recognizing that “there’s room for everyone in SOAR, and that not every SOAR leader needs to be the exact same.”

Walker’s passion for academic advising grew out of her positive experiences with her own advisors, who “modeled great academic advising” to her. She explains, “I honestly loved the logistics of it, of like building schedules, navigating degree plans. It just, you know, most of the time there was a right answer, and like the there’s always a solution at the end of it, and helping people like you just see the relief in students when you help solve their academic problem. And just that’s super rewarding.”

In her current role, Walker is excited about the opportunity to shape the College of Agriculture’s advisement center and ensure it best serves students. She notes that the hands-on, experiential nature of many agriculture courses presents unique scheduling challenges, but also allows for “incredible” student engagement and work ethic.

Walker’s advising approach is grounded in “appreciative advising” and “self-authorship,” where she aims to empower students to take the lead in their academic journeys. As she explains, “I am very passionate about my students being the decision makers. Sometimes they don’t feel equipped to be the decision maker when they get here, which is very understandable, but I want them to be able to feel confident when they make a decision, and it be their decision, right?”

For incoming agriculture students, Walker encourages them to reach out early and often, even before SOAR. “We’re not inaccessible,” she says. “It’s not a you have to get to SOAR before working with us.”

She also advises current students interested in becoming SOAR leaders or pursuing academic advising careers to “talk to different advisors” and find the approach that resonates best with them.

Throughout her journey, Walker has found motivation in the rewarding nature of her work and the growth she witnesses in students. “Every time I meet with the student, it’s just refreshing,” she shares. “And so, it’s never like I don’t get tired, but I’m never tired of students.” By empowering students to take ownership of their academic paths, Walker aims to help them build the confidence and skills to thrive

–Kayin Baker, Leadership Assistant, New Student Orientation & Family Programs