Pre-health professions advisor Heidi Lang won the Fr. Joseph L. Walter Award, given by the Central Association of Advisors for the Health Professions for her outstanding work in advising.
Lang has worked as an advisor at SVSU since 2012 and has enjoyed her job ever since.
“I love working with students and helping them reach and/or reassess their career goals,” Lang said. “I rejoice with them when they are successful in their pursuits towards healthcare careers, but also when they assess their strengths and successfully pursue a different path that is more in line with their interests and talents. In general, I love connecting with people.”
According to Lang, when first starting her career as an advisor, she was mentored by Walter, which made this award even more meaningful to her.
“To receive an award in his name is an absolute honor, as he embodied all that I hope to be as an advisor,” Lang said. “He was gracious with his time, extremely patient with my questions and knowledgeable on all things pre-health related. Walter was an incredible leader on both the regional and national level. I’m truly honored that my colleagues see me as being in the same caliber as him.”
Winning this award has encouraged Lang to continue to do the best she can when advising students.
“It does motivate me to keep doing good work, to continue providing high-level services to our pre-health students and to continue seeking new opportunities for our students,” Lang said. “It is an absolute honor to be recognized in this way.”
Tyler Sadilek, a biology junior, believes Lang deserved the award because she has made a difference in his life.
“Lang’s advising has given me the resources necessary to be a competitive applicant, and I feel as if she goes above and beyond any other advisor to make sure that her students are well-prepared for their future careers,” Sadilek said. “She knows what it takes for students to successfully be admitted to post-graduate professional schools and will stop at nothing to ensure that we get there.”
Sadilek also said that Lang ensures her students are doing well mentally, which he believes is one of the most important things she does.
“She cares about our studies but also cares about our mental and emotional health along the way, which I personally think is one of her best attributes as a pre-health advisor,” Sadilek said. “I can never thank Heidi enough for everything she has done for me.”
Lang makes the lives of her students better and helps keep their attitudes positive, Sadilek said.
“Heidi is a positive, uplifting individual,” Sadilek said. “It is hard to walk into her office without smiling because she is always genuinely happy and excited to see her students. She lifts us up when the stress of school or applying to post-graduate schools takes over. I have never left her office without feeling refreshed and excited for the journey that lies ahead.”
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