Volume 8 | Issue 4 | October 2019
WHAT IS YOUR QUESTION?
By Daisy Cortes, Hixson-Lied Success Scholar
Welcome back Rebels! We began the 2019 school year with the 7th annual UNLV Creates as a way to welcome the incoming UNLV class of 2023. UNLV Creates was held on Friday, August 23, 2019 from 8:00 am to 10:30 am in the Thomas and Mack Center, where thousands of students gathered around with their respective colleges to hear from students, faculty and guest speakers with the goal of inspiring and motivating our students. As always, our host for the event was the wonderful Ryan Romero. The event commenced with the presentation of faculty and staff from various UNLV colleges, including the College of Business, the College of Sciences and the Honors College. During the latter part of the event, we had the pleasure of hearing some words from UNLV President, Dr. Marta Meana, who spoke about UNLV's commitment to the success of all students. She also highlighted five points that we, as students, should wholeheartedly commit to: work hard, treat others with care and humanity, be open to new ideas, get involved, and dream big.

We also had the chance to hear from CSUN President, Hannah Patenaude, who spoke about the importance of involvement. As stated by Patenaude, “CSUN is your voice!” An emotive moment of the morning was presented by first-year student, Iris, who displayed her love for poetry in a poem titled Freedom of Speech . She emphasized the impact that words have and that we should not disguise words of hate as freedom of speech. “Humanity is nothing without unity.” Our first key speaker of the morning began with Benjamin Morse, lecturer of UNLV’s Greenspun College of Urban Affairs. Morse classifies Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” as a changing point in his life when his mother told him that animators had to draw every single bubble by hand in every scene of the movie; from that point on he was marveled. After graduating from Connecticut College in 2004 with a degree in English and with the aspiration of becoming a writer for a newspaper, he realized he hated it. In 2007, Morse began working for Marvel as an assistant editor and later as an editorial director, which lasted until the end of his tenure with Marvel in 2017. His main point of inspiration were his beliefs that it is okay to have many dreams, to have different goals, and to change your mind. College is all about discovery and being open to change.

The second speech was led by first-generation immigrant and mechanical engineering doctoral student, Maria Ramos Gonzalez. Maria’s path towards engineering began with a love for sci-fi films and a 3 day shuttle simulation in middle school. A recipient of the Amelia Earhart Fellowship and on the path towards becoming the first Hispanic woman in the history of UNLV to earn a PhD in engineering, Maria urged all students to take advantage of all the opportunities and not to take time for granted. The final speaker of the event was Associate Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and instructor at UNLV, Dr. David G Schwartz. He spoke of the importance of our Why? Why do we come to college? It’s because we have a question that we can’t find the answers to elsewhere. As long as we have a question, then we have a place here at UNLV. What is your question?
UNLV Creates concluded with the UNLV student pledge accompanied by the UNLV marching band and cheerleaders. At the end, students received a red Rebel Honor Cord as a pledge to graduate from UNLV, which will be worn at graduation.



We welcome the UNLV Class of 2023!
A UNLV EVENT YOU CANNOT MISS
By Jannie Nigoza, Hixson-Lied Success Scholar
Since August 1996, Premier UNLV has been an annual tradition that celebrates the start of the academic year. It was recently held on August 29, 2019 from 5:30-9:30 pm at the
Intramural Field. At Premier, you can find free food, free giveaways, and live performances from our very own marching band, cheer team, and dance team.

This event is open to all UNLV students, new or returning, as well as faculty and staff. Although Premier UNLV was organized by the Office of Student Engagement and Diversity, many UNLV organizations collaborate to make the event possible. Rebel Events Board helps with the planning and execution of the event while CSUN Student Government, Athletics, Campus Housing and other departments contribute to other aspects of the event.

I remember attending Premier the past two years, and I cannot believe that this was my third year going. Last year, I went with a group of friends and we had so much fun, so much so that it has become a tradition to go every year together.
One of my favorite parts about Premier is when everyone gets a light stick and we spell out “UNLV,” which almost takes up the entire field. They usually have the freshman fill in the letter “U,” then the sophomores fill in the letter “N,” and then the other two classes fill out the letters “L” and “V.” The end result is a very cool picture that students get to be a part of.

After this, students can enjoy a concert in front of the stage with a live DJ. Overall, it is a night where you get to relax, have fun, and enjoy being a Rebel. This is the one UNLV event that I cannot afford to miss because it only happens once a year, and it allows me to feel a part of the UNLV community.

Premier UNLV celebrates you being a student. When I think about attending campus events, I realize that I will not have these same opportunities in the future; I will only have these memorable experiences as a college student. Yes, you can choose to stay home, but you can also choose to enjoy your college years. With that being said, I hope you try to attend Premier UNLV next year and experience these moments first-hand.
COLA SPOTLIGHT: DR. HODGES
By Danika Manguiat, Hixson-Lied Success Scholar
If you took one short trip past the CDC, you would find yourself strolling past one of the best resources on campus. The Academic Success Center (ASC) is an on-campus resource for students seeking help, guidance, and support. For students who visit, or are thinking about visiting, it is important to know the resources within the ASC, including the COLA 100E classes. COLA 100E is a first-year seminar class dedicated to first-year students, taught by enthusiastic professors who help provide foundations for students as they go through their college career. One such professor of this class is Dr. Richard Hodges. 

Although this is his first year teaching a COLA 100E class, Dr. Richard Hodges is familiar to the UNLV community as he originally started out as an academic success coach at the ASC. Growing up in Greensboro, North Carolina, Dr. Hodges fell in love with music at an early age and would later go on to receive his doctorate degree from UNLV in musical art and vocal performance. In becoming inspired to follow his desired path in life, Dr. Hodges learned the joys of helping others and was encouraged to do the same. In teaching a COLA 100E class, Dr. Hodges helps his students figure out who they are, where they are going, and what is next in life – three questions he believes all students struggle with in some way during their academic career. 

Within the classroom, Dr. Hodges constantly looks for new and interactive ways to incorporate UNLV’s University Undergraduate Learning Outcomes (UULOs) into his curriculum. By incorporating the different UULOs into his activity-based work, students in his class can build a community in a safe environment and learn from one another. 

It is in these COLA classes that Dr. Hodges can best challenge his students, pushing them to better understand themselves and analyze their own strengths and weaknesses in deciding their own futures. Each semester, Dr. Hodges not only looks forward to teaching students, but also learning from them as well. 

As someone who graduated with a doctorate degree from UNLV, Dr. Hodges realized that not many undergraduate students take advantage of the resources available on campus. He strongly encourages students to utilize coaching and other resources, stating that everyone can benefit from having someone to bounce ideas off. By encouraging such an open and connected environment, COLA 100E students benefit greatly from having dedicated professors like Dr. Hodges to guide them.
DR. JOHNSON JOINS OUR DEPARTMENT
By Andrea Santillan, Hixson-Lied Success Scholar
COLA 100E presents a great opportunity for undergraduate exploring majors to learn valuable strategies to succeed in college while investigating their personal interests in a quest to find what they truly are passionate about. At the heart of this journey lie the professors who make it their mission to aide their students, guiding them along, and preparing them for the next stage of their life.

The Academic Success Center is lucky to welcome a new member to this elite team of hardworking instructors. Dr. Paige Johnson reigns from Tallahassee, Florida. There she attended the University of Miami, Florida International University, as well as Florida State University in her hometown, Tallahassee. Dr. Johnson holds a Doctorate of Education in Adult Education and Human Resource Development. Before earning her Ed.D., Dr. Johnson got an undergraduate degree in international relations, and then a Master’s in Public Administration. 

As a child, Dr. Johnson wanted to be either a Supreme Court Justice or a Secretary General of the United Nations. As she grew, she went through a few more changes in her choice of career, including emergency manager, lawyer, and librarian. She had an epiphany when she realized that while all of her professional aspirations appeared to be random, in reality they were not. They each involved working with people to improve their lives by “Encouraging meaningful curiosity, expanding their frame of reference, and widening their viewpoints.” She also found that educating people in some way is a central theme to each of her aspirations. This also rings true of each position she held across a variety of industries. They all included an element of teaching or training.

Her family was also a big influence. All of Dr. Johnson’s immediate family chose education as their vocation, so naturally it was always an important part of her life. Dr. Johnson made the leap and began teaching at the post-secondary level in 2013 after some encouragement by a mentor and friend. 

Fast-forward five years later and she now teaches undergraduate exploring majors students at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Dr. Johnson feels uniquely connected to her students as she herself explored five different majors over five years as an undergraduate student. This gave her a deep understanding of the process involved in finding a major that really resonates and fits.
She enjoys seeing her students go through this process in a “Holistic, purposeful way.” Dr. Johnson’s favorite part about her job is that “Lightbulb moment” that happens when students realize there are possibilities and options available to them that they had never before considered.

Out of all the topics covered in this course, her favorites include higher-level thinking, financial literacy, and time management. In order to successfully integrate the University Undergraduate Learning Outcomes (UULOS) in her course, Dr. Johnson searches for practical applications. This way she may reach the students by making the content and goals relatable. Presenting content in a relatable way proves pivotal to securing student success, as students may face multiple hardships throughout their learning journey. Dr. Johnson recognizes that students are constantly under a lot of pressure. As students adjust to the college environment, they often enter with personal, familial, and institutional expectations, which are typically aggravated by lack of sleep, loneliness, stress, and overwhelming amounts of information thrown at them.

Dr. Johnson also points out that students may not know what resources are available or how to access them. She would like to point out that more students should know more about Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). Dr. Johnson knows that stress goes hand-in-hand with physical ailments, so it is imperative that more students stop and take care of themselves. Dr. Johnson also points out that as a community, mental health needs to be destigmatized, with a greater attention to the link between mind and body. 

In terms of picking a major, Dr. Johnson has some valuable advice for students who find themselves in this situation. The first step is to get to know yourself. Students should determine what they do not like, eliminating as much as possible to lessen their load. This frees room for focus on options that resonate with individuals’ skills, values, and other qualities. Self-assessments are also great to get some tailored options. After accomplishing these steps, one needs to then increase belief in oneself. For instance, perhaps tackle challenging subjects (i.e., math and science) with a sense of confidence and resilience. 

Dr. Johnson also has great advice that all students can benefit from. When she was an undergraduate student, she did not realize the importance of developing routines to make college more manageable. Her life was a cycle of working, staying up most of the night, and trying to stay awake in class. This is something that many can relate to. Dr. Johnson found that creating a schedule and adhering to it is the key to success. Take account for all aspects of life, including school, work, sleep, family, and other things important to personal happiness.

We are more than fortunate to have Dr. Johnson as a part of our faculty at the Academic Success Center. Her passion for guiding and educating students will undoubtedly benefit everyone who enrolls in her class.
YOUR BEST ADVOCATE
By Sean Wadsworth , Hixson-Lied Success Scholar
This past week I had the opportunity to sit down and speak with Erika Alfrey, an Academic Success Coach here at UNLV. In our conversation, we covered Erika’s role as an Academic Success Coach, who she is, and some of the skills she has found to be most essential for students.

Erika started as an Academic Success Coach in the fall of 2018. As an Academic Success Coach, Erika divides her time between Outreach sessions, Success Series presentations, and one-on-one coaching sessions with students. A frequent topic of conversation in these coaching sessions is that of time management skills, and when one considers all of the scheduling demands and stress that the average college student faces, it’s easy to see why. These same demands influence another area that Erika frequently focuses on in her sessions: self-care.

It should come as no surprise that Erika is so adept at addressing and helping students develop skills in time management and self-care. After all, these are skills that she practices herself. As a graduate student pursuing her Master’s in School Counseling, Erika is in a situation where she deals with many of the same challenges that she coaches on. When I asked Erika about her own self-care routine, her answer came with familiarity as she said, “Spending time with family.” (It should be noted that her dog and cat are also a part of the family.)
As far as advice for all students, Erika emphasized the importance of trusting yourself, taking risks, and getting help when you realize that you need it. In her own words, “You are your best advocate.” Everything that Erika offered was valuable, but I was most impressed by her response when I asked what her favorite part of being an Academic Success Coach was. “When students achieve their goals,” she answered without hesitation. She added that it was selfish of her to say, but I think the students she works with would tell you that it, and she are anything but.
BEING A PROACTIVE STUDENT
By Brianna Hermann, Hixson-Lied Success Scholar
It’s the start of a new semester, and while some students may find it easy to get back into the groove of things, others find it is more difficult than anticipated. Staying proactive each week is no easy task, but with the help of some UNLV resources, every student can succeed! In this article I plan to discuss my top 7 ways for how to stay ahead of the game this semester.  

First, I cannot stress enough how important it is to stay organized. It is easy to fall behind and forget assignments but staying organized keeps you proactive each day in order to keep up with heavy course loads. I would recommend investing in a planner or calendar. These tools can range from pocket size things, digital versions, or even ones the size of a desk. It is all a matter of preference and what works for you.

Over the years I have experimented with these different versions and found what works best with me. If you find that you are still falling behind with one method, try a different one, there are so many different ways to plan out your days ahead of time, so nothing gets forgotten.

Next, I recommend not only looking ahead daily or even weekly, but to even expand your scope to a semester-wide approach. One tool I was introduced to my freshman year by an outstanding academic coach was the semester calendar found in the Academic Success Center Coaching Spot on the second floor of the SSC-A.

I use this tool to plan out all my important exams, papers, projects, and finals for the entire semester. This helps me look ahead and know what weeks to expect to be my study weeks and what weeks I will be taking multiple exams.

My next tip goes hand-in-hand with the planner idea, and that is to make “to do” lists’. This tool allows students to prioritize certain assignments or tasks for that day, in addition to keep you motivated throughout the process with each thing you cross off.

There are also digital versions of this, but old-fashioned pen and paper seems to work best for me. I highly encourage you to try this tip and see if it works for you. You can even color code the list specific to each subject it pertains to, or the importance of each thing.

After writing out everything you need to accomplish, you must then learn to deal with distractions. Put away or silence distractions during study times but allow for minimal breaks to keep you focused and give your brain a rest. It is also important to reward yourself for completing everything you set out to accomplish for the week.
Set specific times for going on social media or replying to emails, and stick to them, that way you do not accidentally spend 5 hours on social media or watching shows, only to find out you now have 2 hours for homework you anticipated would take 4 hours. This then creates a panic and forces students to submit poorly thought out or sloppy work.

Next, find out when your productivity peak hours are. Are you a morning person, or a night owl? Do you study best right after classes, or do you usually need to take a break for an hour? Can you study while you eat, or do you need to eat first? Answering these questions seriously will help you maintain a productive pattern in your everyday life, as well as set a specific study schedule. 

My next tip can be taken as a personal one as well as an academic tip, it is also very simple. Do not forget to take time for yourself. Make sure you are taking care of your mental health and physical health by making time for eating, exercising, and socializing. School schedules can become busy fast, especially for students who work as well. However, even if it is just for an hour, maintaining your personal health is just as important as your “educational health”.
Last but not least, as always, ask for help and communicate with your professors.

UNLV is full of so many resources to utilize, we pay for them through our tuition, why not take advantage. Such resources include: Academic Success Center tutoring, the writing center, math tutoring center, women’s center, on-campus pharmacy and physicians, the student recreation center, and the financial aid office.  

As a Hixson-Lied Success Scholar through the Academic Success Center, one of the most helpful resources I have found is Academic Success Coaching, as mentioned above. Academic Success Coaching, located on the second floor of the Student Services Complex (SSC-A), helped me plan out my study schedule, set attainable goals, manage my test anxiety, and explore different study strategies. Not only can students make one-on-one appointments with a coach, but they can also attend workshops.

The workshops are designed for every student to attend for free. Each one covers various techniques all students should adopt. They are held every Monday at 2:30 pm, Tuesdays at 11:30 am, and Wednesdays at 10:15 am. For information about what topics will be covered each week, or for more information about the coaching spot in general, students can visit their website . And don’t forget to stay proactive this semester Rebels!
Interested in becoming a 2020-2021 Hixson-Lied Success Scholar? Application is now open! Please visit this website for more information!
MEET OUR DONORS
Ms. Christina M. Hixson
Ms. Christina M. Hixson graduated from high school in Clarinda, Iowa and moved to Omaha, Nebraska to attend business school. She later went to work for Mr. Ernst F. Lied , a car dealership owner in Omaha and in 1960 she joined Mr. Lied in Las Vegas, Nevada as his assistant. After Mr. Lied’s death in 1980, Ms. Hixson became the sole trustee of the Lied Foundation Trust and turned the Lied Foundation Trust into one of the largest foundations in the state of Nevada at that time. Ms. Hixson has a special understanding of young people who, like her, came from a challenging family background and are willing to work hard. 
Mr. Ernst F. Lied
Mr. Ernst F. Lied was born in Columbus, Ohio and attended the University of Kansas for two years, where he played on the golf team. He ultimately graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1927. Mr. Lied became a Buick dealer in Omaha, Nebraska and later his dealership was ranked third in the country for the number of cars sold. Mr. Lied established his charitable foundation in 1972, and upon his death in 1980 at age 74 nearly his entire estate funded the Lied Foundation Trust. Lied Foundation Trust has enhanced the capabilities of many schools and enriched the quality of many lives!
 *All photos used are original, can be found on unlv.edu, UNLV social media or have references indicated  
UNLV | Academic Success Center | (702) 895-3177| asc@unlv.edu| www.unlv.edu/asc