Kelly Van Zandt, the First- and Second-Year Advisor & Transition Specialist for the University Honors Program, has been an essential part of the UHP community since 2018.

First joining in February 2018, Kelly entered the University Honors Program as the academic advisor for first- and second-year UHP students, a new position within the program. Since then, her efforts have been seen far and wide across campus, both in UHP and around UC Davis. From building a sense of community within the honors living-learning community at Currant Hall, ramping up recruitment efforts for UHP on-campus admissions, and implementing new aspects into the program (including the UHP Day of Service, the UHP Peer Mentor Program, and more!), Kelly has provided a fantastic academic and social support network for all of UHP. 

Kelly’s passion is seen through her willingness to develop new ways for UHP students to socialize through fun and exciting events, her desire to know her students on a more personal level, and her drive to ensure all students are in tune with the UHP curriculum. She has truly embodied all of UHP's values throughout her time with us. Below are Kelly’s reflections on her time with UHP. 

What is one of your favorite memories with UHP?

1. Developing the peer mentor program and providing an opportunity for first-year students to build connections with continuing students. At the same time, I was working with our incoming first years within the program, and I was also getting to continue building relationships with these mentors. These interactions were rewarding, especially when training or advising mentors on things that might come up through the mentor-mentee relationships. In addition, I really enjoyed hearing back from the mentees about the added value of having somebody who was a mentor.
2. Working with the UHP staff, including former UHP Associate Director Eddy Ruiz, Year 3 & 4 Advisor Kate Andrup Stephensen, and Program Coordinator Taylor Cameron. I received so much support from each of them in my day-to-day tasks as an advisor. I also loved collaborating with the UHP student employees! I cherish having students in the UHP office space, talking to them every day, and not just being in an advisory capacity. Hearing more day-to-day things from them where I can get to know somebody on a different and personal level is very refreshing.

What is something you will miss?

I would miss the students. 300-400 students was a nice caseload to have. Students could see me as many times as they wanted. I would see them in their housing. I would see them as they were coming in from class and as they were going to eat. I would see them at night when I would come and do group advising. I would even meet their families, so I felt I had the opportunity to know the students personally. To me, it was always such a full circle moment when I would see them graduate after knowing them since orientation or the UHP Preview Day. That is exciting!

What did UHP do to enhance your life and career?

UHP allowed me to have an opportunity to work at UC Davis, and it allowed me to utilize my past experiences with career advising effectively. During my advising sessions, whenever students had concerns about their major exploration or locating internships and other extracurriculars on-campus, these prior experiences proved very useful. I did pre-health advising at UC Merced before arriving at UC Davis, and I had many students interested in pre-health careers here at UHP. It's nice that I could utilize some of that previous advising knowledge with this honors population.

In addition, since I was seeing students from all four colleges, I could build connections with colleagues from the whole advising community across campus. And through these connections, I learned more about the various resources offered at UC Davis. I could then refer these resources – including the Global Learning Hub, the Undergraduate Research Center, and the Internship and Career Center – to the high-achieving students at UHP who wanted to utilize them to enhance their undergraduate experiences.

What would you want to tell all UHP students?

The UHP curriculum is an opportunity to grow and harness your academic and professional skills and goals. Have an open mind, and do not close any doors that are open to you. See what possibilities are out there for you, making the most out of every opportunity. You can get so much more out of the curriculum and the events organized by the program. Some advisors and other UHP faculty are always willing to offer an additional layer of support. When I've seen students shine, it epitomizes what I want the program to be about. 

Kelly has since transitioned to an academic advisor position in the College of Letters and Science Dean's Office, and though we are saddened to see her leave the UHP community, we thank her for all her inspiring and meaningful work. We know she will do amazing things at the College of Letters and Science. From us and the entire community, thank you for your contributions, Kelly!