Staff: Caroline Hill

From her hometown of Winterville, Caroline Hill sees something familiar in East Carolina University. She sees her father, Ricky, who graduated from and works at ECU, and her older sister Lindsey, who graduated from the university as well.

She sees a history and tradition of service, specifically to the field of education.

She sees home.

That’s what drew her to the university as a student after she graduated from South Central High School in 2007. And that’s what continues to drive her today in her role as an academic advisor in ECU’s College of Education.

“As a Winterville native, ECU has always been a part of my life,” said Hill. “… During high school, I knew I was interested in staying close to home and my family, and to me, the perfect place to do that was at the place that already felt like home.”

As an advisor, Hill works with students pursuing degrees in elementary, middle grades, math and science education. It’s her job to help students with course selection and the registration process. She also helps ensure students are making adequate progress toward graduation and teacher licensure requirements.

But her job goes beyond administrative duties.

“I’ve always told my students that as their academic advisor, I consider myself their go-to person. I want to be the person they feel comfortable coming to with anything, whether it be academic, personal or professional,” Hill said. “ECU is a large university with countless resources to assist students in navigating higher education. I believe an academic advisor does more than assist a student with registration each semester. They provide a vital resource to students in every aspect of their education, including positive communication, organization, critical thinking and career planning.”

Hill graduated from ECU with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology in 2011 and obtained her Master of Science in counselor education in 2013. She believes that experience helps her when talking with students.

As an academic advisor for the College of Education, Caroline Hill works to ensure students are making adequate progress toward graduation and teacher licensure requirements.

“Having attended ECU for undergrad and graduate school, I feel that I have been able to provide both perspectives for students — things I have learned as both a student and an employee,” she said. “Students come to me for anything from course scheduling to how to balance school and personal life and everything in between.”

Hill said the academic advisors she had as a student influenced her to become one herself.

“The position seemed so interesting to me as it encompassed so many roles that I would enjoy, including student interaction and academic planning,” she said. “During my time in ECU’s counselor education master’s program, I was fortunate to have a 1 1/2-year internship with the College of Business advising center. During this time, I not only honed the skills needed for this profession, but I also decided this was my chosen career.”

With her mother, Charlene, having worked in an elementary school for 25 years, Hill felt that working with future teachers would be a perfect fit.

“Teachers are very important; the profession means so much to our future,” Hill said. “With that knowledge, providing support to these students was a strong motivator. Many of my teachers made positive impacts on my life so being an academic advisor to students who will have that same impact on future students is so gratifying. Their commitment to this career is evident in everything they do, including their involvement in major-specific clubs and their eagerness to begin practicums in their sophomore or junior years. My ultimate reward is seeing my advisees completing their degree, finding a teaching position and fulfilling their dream.”

And Hill said that dream of becoming a teacher is a good one to have.

“No matter who you ask, I am sure everyone can point back to an experience they had in school and specifically a teacher who had an impact on them,” Hill said. “Imagine how rewarding it would be to have such an effect on a student, that you are the person who comes to mind when they think about their favorite teacher growing up. The changes you can make in a student’s life span far beyond the six to seven hours you spend with them each day. Teachers do not only teach their respective subjects, but also resiliency, problem-solving, confidence, creativity and empathy. Cultivating a love of learning in students will impact them in every aspect of their life.”

Hill serves as the co-chair of ECU’s Academic Advisor Training Committee, which conducts six to eight training sessions a year for advisors throughout the university as well as new hires. The training allows advisors to stay informed about policy changes, procedures, program updates and professional development opportunities.

She said she’s proud to be part of a college that has a reputation of being a national leader in producing quality educators. ECU prepares more educational professionals than any other university in North Carolina and has graduates working in all 100 counties of the state.

“The faculty and administration within the College of Education have a true desire to make a positive impact on the lives of our students, which contributes to the significant impact that each of our graduates has on their future students,” Hill said.

ECU was created as a training school for teachers in 1907, and Hill said everyone within the college is committed to continuing its legacy of excellence.

“Knowing that our university was created to address a teacher shortage in eastern North Carolina and that we continue to be a leader in producing the most teachers for this profession is a source of great pride,” Hill said. “I honestly love and enjoy working with my advisees. Knowing that our students will ultimately affect so many young lives is a humbling and satisfying experience.”

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