“There is something about the college-age student that I find refreshing and inspiring. It is fun to help guide them on their path.”
As a new student advisor in the College of Life Sciences, Carol Stepan looks forward to interacting with students. She will work specifically with those studying public health and exercise & wellness. With a background in the sciences, Stepan is able to offer students specialized advice, because she has taken many of the same classes that students are currently taking. She understands what it is like to be an undergraduate student studying the life sciences.
Stepan grew up in Ohio and completed her undergraduate studies at Case Western Reserve University. As an undergraduate, Stepan started in biochemistry and premed but switched to psychology with a minor in chemistry. She later completed an Educational Leadership MEd at BYU. Upon graduating, she worked in the BYU Admissions Office. When her husband studied law at George Washington University Law School, Stepan worked in their alumni and development office. Stepan’s career has included working as a high school counselor and as the advisor for non-matriculated students at the BYU Salt Lake Center.
Stepan wants the students she will advise in the College of Life Sciences to understand that the role of an advisor is to offer advice and provide resources to help them make decisions:
“You know what you want and could do it without an advisor,” Stepan said. “We are here to guide you along the way. We are your cheerleaders and can help guide you. [We] advise, you decide.”
In addition to providing advisement for students, Stepan will oversee the Life Sciences Student Council. The student council is a 1-credit class that life science students can apply to. Those who are chosen for the council organize events and spearhead projects within the college.
In addition to her educational and professional pursuits, Stepan is the mother of five children. She currently has a son serving a mission in Madagascar, and she is excited to share the news that she is a new grandma. In August, her oldest son and daughter each had a baby, six days apart from one another. Stepan says she is most looking forward to baby snuggles and the fun of watching them grow.