120. Seeking Out Self-Improvement with UConn Academic Counselor Alana Butler

Seeking Out Self-Improvement with UConn Academic Counselor Alana Butler

Introducing Alana Butler

Today I’m talking to UConn Academic Counselor Alana Butler about seeking out self-improvement.

Her Career Journey

Alana earned her BS in human development at the University of Connecticut where she played field hockey. After college, she began coaching, first at Bates and then at the University of Rhode Island. Feeling that she couldn’t meet the needs of her student-athletes when they came to her for advice off the field, Alana sought out additional training and earned her M.Ed. in psychology with a focus in athletic counseling at Springfield College. Alan began working as an academic counselor at UConn shortly after and has been there ever since. Additionally, she is the UConn Athletics Diversity and Inclusion designee and the Associate Director for the Student Athlete Success Program (SASP).

Seeking Out Self Improvement

Throughout her career, Alana keeps seeking out self-improvement. Her decision to go back to school for her master’s degree was driven by the feeling that she could learn how to better help her athletes and direct them to the right resources. As she became more established in her career, Alana took on extra roles within her organization and outside of it to stay energized in her work and to find new people and ideas, all in the name of helping student-athletes feel comfortable showing up as their authentic selves.

Inside this episode:

    • When Alana switched from coaching to her job as an academic counselor, she needed to adjust from working unpredictable hours to a very traditional schedule. She also experienced something of a paradigm shift as she reevaluated the job she thought she would do for the rest of her life.
    • Alana found that helping student-athletes through her new role was another way to live out her mission and vision. 
    • Through the years, she’s heard a lot from her students and takes pride in knowing that, while they might be experiencing something totally new, she’s seen something like this before and knows how to help. 
    • Alana has taken on additional roles and joined national organizations to continue to learn new skills and stay engaged in the work. 
    • When a student says they want to do what she does for a job, Alana came to recognize that this means that they’ve had a positive experience in the space she’s helped create.

Resources

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