Academic Advising Portfolio - Division of Continuing Education ...

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based advising can help Brandon identify coping and transferrable life skills he has learned
through his sport participation, which in turn increases career maturity (Petitpas et al., 2009).
Finally, it is critical that Brandon make connections outside of the swim team and in his
major to assist him in solidifying his student‐major identity (Brown, 1995; Ferrante & Etzel,
2009). The advisor can assign Brandon to interview a faculty member in the school of
engineering or an upperclass student in the engineering program to learn more about it, and
also assuage his fears. Another peer connection Brandon can make to assist him would be to
join a support group for other students like him, whether a group for multicultural students or
student‐athletes (Ahlgren‐Bedics & Monda, 2009). This can alleviate some of the isolation
Brandon may be feeling and provide a healthy, safe place in which to continue examining his
emotions.
Final Considerations
Many theories of student development have not been tested for validity on
multicultural groups, and the case study does not provide a comprehensive picture of
Brandon’s background. Since Brandon speaks to his parents on the phone in his native tongue,
it is possible that his parents had immigrated to the United States (Sue & Sue, 2003). As
Brandon is far away from home, he may feel additional burden to bring pride to the family and
to not squander the opportunity his parents may have sacrificed for. Any advisor should be
cognizant of their personal biases concerning students of multicultural backgrounds,
particularly when it comes to using certain psychological frameworks to design approaches.
Brandon’s self‐esteem may also need further support from a mental health counselor,
particularly if he exhibits any symptoms of an anxiety disorder or depression. This response has