As a First-Generation student, Mary is a proud three-time alum of UNLV. After graduating with a degree in Anthropology, she went on to complete her Masters in Education Leadership in 2005; where she started her first academic advising position with the College of Engineering. After advising for several years, Mary realized she had a desire for further understanding of the non-academic challenges students face, and wanted to acquire additional skills to help students meet their academic goals. She decided to obtain her second Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in 2014, and spent 5 years as a private and community therapist. She then returned to UNLV to share what she had learned and incorporate her experiences into a holistic, person-centered advising practice. Mary has experience in: First and Second-Year seminar teaching, private and community therapy in substance use and mental health diagnosis, student development theory, appreciative advising, solution-focused advising, RPC initiatives, program development, student conduct, and UNLV community and faculty senate involvement. When not working, you can find Mary spending time with her husband and two cats, painting, journaling, doing textile art, reading, and watching MANY genres of films (she is a bit of a film buff).