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| Thavery Lay-Bounpraseuth |
Education doesn't end with a diploma. Sometimes, academic advisers need a little advising themselves.
This summer, Thavery Lay-Bounpraseuth, academic adviser in Student Support & Equity Programs, will learn about the education policy-making process and research and funding opportunities during a two-week fellowship in Washington, D.C.
As one of 20 members of the E. (Kika) de la Garza Fellowship program, Lay-Bounpraseuth will learn from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and its agencies, as well as the Department of Education, National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The fellowship will address fellows' skills in reaching out to students, advising on career opportunities and graduate studies, creating partnerships and government relations.
Lay-Bounpraseuth is the third Cal Poly Pomona representative to receive this prestigious U.S. Department of Agriculture fellowship. Cecilia Santiago, coordinator of the Cesar E. Chavez Center for Higher Education, and Daniel Hostetler, chair of the Plant Sciences department, are previous fellows.
“I'm hoping to learn more about the many opportunities available to our students. I want to be informed about the scholarships, internships and fellowships they offer and be able to share them with students,” she says.
As an adviser in SSEP, Lay-Bounpraseuth guides undeclared students and those in the Educational Opportunity Program in transitioning to the university, selecting courses and referring them to services. She also coordinates workshops for the College Success Seminar series, whose topics include study strategies, time management, connecting with instructors and stress management.
The E. (Kika) de la Garza Fellowship was established in 1998 by the USDA-Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities Leadership Group to advance the USDA's relationship with participating institutions. The program is designed to enhance fellows' professional growth while fostering workforce diversity and strengthening the nation's capacity to provide high-quality education and increased opportunities for Hispanic Americans.