The academic support team at Trinity has many resources for students dealing with the stresses of college. Stacy Davidson, the director for Academic Success, has been with Trinity for three years and is known on campus as the go-to person for all your academic needs.
Janett Muà±oz, a senior biochemistry and molecular biology double major, met Davidson on an admissions panel and has been working with her ever since.
“It was my sophomore year and I was on a parent panel with her. I remember loving her down-to-earth and genuine character,” Muà±oz wrote in an email interview. “I really liked her vibe. It was great that we met, because I actually used the Academic Success Center that same semester because I was drowning in work.”
Alex Motter, a sophomore business analytics major, sought advice from Davidson after hearing a presentation of hers during New Student Orientation week.
“She was really funny because she knew that I knew that I was doing too much, so she helped me laugh at a lot of the stuff I was doing,” Motter said. “I think she offered a lot of professional insight while also being really friendly and personable.”
Outside of the Academic Success Center, Davidson will also be teaching a portion of the Social Justice FYE this semester.
“I have prior college teaching experience, and Dr. Sheryl Tynes, my supervisor, was very interested in having a staff person from the student affairs side involved and working closely with first-year students,” Davidson said.
One of Davidson’s many passions is diversity and inclusion. She serves as the advisor for the Black Student Union, a student organization that promotes the empowerment of Trinity students of color.
“I couldn’t be here if I wasn’t helping them in some way or engaging with them in meaningful ways. The easiest way for me to do that was to serve in an advisor role. It’s not just about helping run the organization “” it’s also about building leadership in these executive board staff members, and it gives me an opportunity to build meaningful relationships with students,” Davidson said.
With all of the positions at Trinity that Davidson has to juggle, she still manages to find the time to make every student’s concerns heard and attended to.
“She has bomb advice for anything you want clarity for, because she is that amazing. Trinity is so lucky to have Stacy working with us. The impact she is making is revolutionary, and the lives she is impacting are endless,” Muà±oz said.
Motter says that Davidson improved his confidence and willingness to look to others for help.
“I thought of getting help or talking to others as an impediment to success, but it’s really just taking advantage of all the resources you have at your disposal,” Motter said. “If you’re able to help correct some of your lifelong problems for completely free, and it’s included in your education, you should take advantage of that.”
The biggest advice from Davidson for any student having troubles is to ask for help when needed.
“It’s not about waiting until you’re struggling, and it’s not just about struggling students. It’s about all students of all abilities getting the help they need in order to be their very best. That’s why you come to a small school, because there are so many resources to take advantage of,” Davidson said.
Davidson, along with the Academic Support staff, are a valuable resource for the university that students can benefit greatly from. The Tiger Learning Commons, where the Academic Success Center and additional study spaces have been relocated, opened to students on Monday, Aug. 28, on the left-hand side of the Coates Library’s main floor.
