Navigate your first year at UA with the support of student mentors who utilize their experiences to answer questions, support your success, and share advice. Navigators are available for walk-in meetings and scheduled appointments on Monday through Friday from 10 AM – 4 PM. Connect with a Navigator today!
Alainah Jackson
Sophomore
Major(s)/Minor(s): News Media, Communication Studies
Meet with me if you are seeking guidance on adapting to college life, on balancing your time, or are wanting to get involved!
Allison John
Senior
Majors/Minors: Chemistry and French/Biology, Interdisciplinary Studies in Medicine, Psychology
Meet with me if you want someone to talk to, and if you want to have a fun conversation.
Axlyn Pace
Senior
Major: Kinesiology/Exercise Science
Meet with me if you need someone to listen to or assist you as you find your footing and leave your mark here at the Capstone!
Isabella Lange
Senior
Major/Minor: Biology major on Pre-Medicine Track
Meet with me if you are struggling with being away from home or want to work on improving studying techniques!
Jamiya Edwards
Senior
Majors/Minors: Social Work/Psychology, History, and Global and Cultural Perspectives
Meet with me if you’re having a hard time balancing your involvement, academics, self-care, and life in general. Whether you need support, guidance, someone to talk to, or help navigating a situation, I’m here to help!
Katie Severino
Senior
Major: Marketing
Meet with me if you need to expand on your study habits and organize your week!
Kiyah McKinley
Senior
Majors: Criminal Justice/Criminology & Psychology
Meet with me if you want to find organizations to join in your first year!
Kit Elsasser
Junior
Majors: Civil Engineering and Religious Studies
Meet with me if you have a lot of spread-out interests and want to know what you can do to make them work together!
Kolby Dupree
Senior
Major/Minor: Kinesiol
ogy, Con. Exercise Science
Meet with me if you are having a hard time studying, staying on schedule, or managing your time
Maddie Daniell
Senior
Major/Minor: Human Development and Family Studies Major, Digital Consumer Engagement Minor
Meet with me if you need help with organization, time management, or finding what to prioritize based on your needs.
Samantha-Lynn Thomas
Senior
Majors: Political Science and African American Studies (Pre-Law Track)
Meet with me if you want to know how to get involved, how to care for yourself, or how to balance the craziness of college life!
Trinity Whittington
Junior
Major: Hospitality management
Meet with me if you would like to be connected to resources or organizations that fit your interests, needs, or hobbies!
Contact the Navigators
Reach out to the Navigators to schedule an appointment or ask your questions by clicking schedule an appointment below, visiting the office, or calling the number listed below.
Campus Compass
Campus Compass is your audible guide to navigating campus at The University of Alabama. Join First Year Navigators for bi-weekly podcasts utilizing their experiences and knowledge to help first year students gain a stronger foundations on campus. Navigators are here to give advice, support your journey, and guide you on the path towards success.
Check out the episodes below on Spotify!
Episode 7: Summer Send Off
In the final episode of the semester, Campus Compass concludes the end of the academic year with tips for preparing for finals, move out, and forward thinking into summer plans and your fall semester.
Isabella and Juli emphasize the importance of staying organized with your finals week. They go over details of how to double check your final’s schedule, study strategies, and how to stay calm and confident going into your exams. Sharing personal techniques, experiences, and resources that have helped them, they advise different ways to maintain your priorities and stay collected while also finding a good social balance to soak in your last moments with your friends.
Juli and Isabella also emphasize self care and tapping into wellness within dead week and finals week to ensure you’re staying healthy. UA has tons of resources to support you during this time, so use them to your advantage! Remember to take breaks, eat, drink water, and use your time wisely while studying and wrapping up your semester. Completing your first year of college is a huge accomplishment, so give it your all during your final exams and take that well deserved break this summer. You got this!
Episode 6: Closing Time
As the school year comes to a close, Isabella and Juli talk about wrapping things up both academically with finals and personally with move out tips and more.
They break down the chaos of dead week, finals week, and move out while also emphasizing spending time with those around you. They reflect on the importance of exploring campus, going out and seeing new sights around town, and doing the things you’ve wanted to do all year since this is the end of your freshman year.
They also give helpful tips about studying around campus, favorite study spots , and resources to help you while preparing for finals. Depending on how you go about wrapping up your semester, make sure you’re prepared. It can get very difficult to have move out, finals, and all these emotions about leaving your friends on your mind. Make sure you’re taking the time to recognize priorities, take care of yourself, and kill it during your finals!
Episode 5: Breaking Up with Your Major
Isabella and Juli explore the idea of “breaking up with your major” and how to go about navigating resources and tools on campus to enhance your journey of finding what’s best for you . With how common students change their major, it’s important to know that you’re never alone in this process and that Navigators are here to help! Whether it’s changing your entire path or just adding a minor, there are various ways to consider and adjust your journey in a way that better aligns with your interests, goals, and future plans.
They discuss all the helpful tips of going about finding what’s best for you on your academic journey, including exploring fun classes, talking to the career center, and using UA websites such as Focus 2 and Degree Works. Using personal experiences, they share how they’ve navigated changes through their own academic path and the opportunities they encountered while being a student at UA.
Episode 4: March Madness
In this episode of Campus Compass, Isabella and Julie explore “March Madness” from both a campus life and academic perspective, highlighting how students can balance school stress with social engagement.
They encourage students to attend a variety of university sporting events, not only for enjoyment but also to earn Tide Loyalty Points, which can lead to access to high-demand games and exclusive opportunities.
Shifting to academics, they emphasize the importance of utilizing campus resources such as peer tutoring, the Counseling Center, and advising services to manage exam stress and improve performance. They also provide practical guidance on course registration, introducing tools like Schedule Builder and DegreeWorks to help students efficiently plan their academic paths.
Episode 3: Interning through Summer
FYE Navigators Isabella and Juli talk about different ways students can spend their summer, focusing on including internships, summer jobs, study abroad, and summer classes.
They share their own plans while discussing the benefits of gaining experience, building transferable skills, and exploring career interests. The episode also highlights helpful resources for finding opportunities and encouraging students to start planning early while choosing the option that fits their goals. Whether students receive multiple offers or face a few rejections along the way, Isabella and Juli remain them the persistence, preparation, and self belief will help them find the opportunity that's right for them.
Episode 2: Drop the Addy
FYE Navigators Isabella and Juli discuss what UA students need to know about securing housing for the upcoming academic year. They explain on-campus and off-campus housing options, how to find roommates, transportation considerations, budgeting and financing, and storage unit tips.
The episode also covers why first-year students should begin their housing search early, especially since many sophomore, junior, and graduate students secure leases early during the fall semester.
This episode is designed to help first-year students reduce stress and make informed decisions as they begin planning for next year’s housing
Episode 1: New Semester, New Me
FYE Navigators Isabella and Juli talk everything from getting involved to adjusting for the spring semester.