With a background in career counseling and education, Patti Seidler brings a wealth of experience to her role as a professional advisor for NDSU’s Career and Advising Center.
Patti Seidler’s passion for higher education and helping students find the right path for their academic goals started as an undergrad.
Reflecting on her own college experience, Seidler recalls meeting other students who were in their fifth and sixth years of college because they didn’t have an advisor to guide them along the way. As she finished her degree in elementary education, Seidler made it a priority to help several of her peers finish their major requirements by creating academic plans with them.
It was in those moments when Seidler realized academic advising was a natural fit.
“I became passionate about academic advising and knew I wanted to help students have a successful college experience,” she said.
With a background in career counseling and education, she brings a wealth of experience to her role as a professional advisor for NDSU’s Career and Advising Center. Seidler equips students with the tools they need to succeed, from mapping out degree plans to connecting them with campus resources. She advises around 250 students, most of which are first- and second-year psychology majors, along with a few theatre arts and women and gender studies students.
One of the most fulfilling aspects of her job is helping students see the vast possibilities within their chosen majors, particularly in psychology.
“The psych major is super exciting, and the part I love the most is when I get to show students all their options to create a custom curriculum plan of study,” Seidler said.
With about 30 free electives built into the psychology program, students have the flexibility to tailor their education to their unique interests and career goals. Seidler helps students select those elective courses, encouraging students to engage with subjects that genuinely interest them.
“I use one word in my advising daily, and that’s ‘intentionality.’ We really want students to choose courses with intentionality that not only interest them, but strengthen their knowledge in their major and future career field,” she said.
By helping students make meaningful connections between their coursework and career aspirations, Seidler ensures they are not just checking off boxes, but truly investing in their education.
Once students reach their third year, they then transition to a faculty advisor who builds on the degree plans they created with Seidler.
With the academic year winding down, Seidler is already looking forward to one of her favorite times of the year — working with incoming first-year students.
“Last year, we started meeting individually with all incoming first-year students before they even stepped on campus. That 45-minute appointment is crucial because it sets them up for success and helps them feel more confident when they arrive,” she said.
The Career and Advising Center has found that this approach, which replaces large-group orientation scheduling, has significantly reduced student stress and made the transition for incoming students a smoother process.
Seidler previously worked at NDSU, first as an orientation intern and later at the Foundation where she led a team of student callers in fundraising for NDSU. Returning to campus was an easy decision driven by the strong community of students, alumni and donors NDSU is known for.
In the year that she’s been in her role, Seidler has enjoyed every minute working with her student advisees and with the other professional advisors across campus.
“I really believe we have a strong group of professionals who truly support students on the advising team,” she said. “Everybody's goal is helping students effectively and giving them that academic plan to foster success at NDSU. If they have a plan and they know what's expected of them, they're more likely to finish their degree here.”
