Like many UAGC students, Leeandra LeBlanc didn’t fall into her academic groove until college. The married mother of two who is currently finishing her Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration says she’s a different student than she was in high school and has learned a lot about herself and what is required to succeed.
Now, as a Student Success Assistant, she’s using her experience to provide others with the confidence they need to reach their goals. The job involves everything from mentoring students to helping manage the UAGC Connect platform to supporting her peers as a UAGC ambassador. She also serves on the Mentor Council and has shared her insights in UAGC live events on Facebook.
All of this, she explains, is part of a broader effort to make school accessible.
“I hope to make it simple enough for anybody to understand and be able to comprehend everything that’s required of them,” she explains.
Support and Success
Leeandra is a military spouse and mom of two children. The family has lived in numerous places, including Germany, Tucson, and Florida. When her husband began taking classes, Leeandra decided to get back into school herself.
It was the right decision, she says, and it’s one that’s led her to become a leader in her own right. Here, she lays out a blueprint for academic success – one that students can apply no matter their background.
- Make the right connections
As is often the case in life and work, the right connections can help you achieve your goals. That’s why she encourages students to seek the help of student success assistants like herself and befriend and partner with others in the online classroom. Doing so, she insists, will help a student feel less isolated.
“Getting connected with people who are similar and have similar goals is important, and you need that motivation,” she says. “You may be on Day One, and they may be on their last day, and I think it just helps encourage people and keeps them focused. Success is not out of reach for anybody. There are 70-year-olds graduating, there are 25-year-olds graduating. It can be done. Anybody can do it.”
- Ask for help, but don’t expect to be given the answers
As a Student Success Assistant, Leeandra’s role isn’t about giving answers – it’s about guiding fellow students to find their own solutions. She does it by encouraging students to think critically about their assignments and looking for ways they can work through challenges.
Leeandra says there are three common challenges that students bring to Leeandra, and here she explains how she helps them achieve success.
First, she says frustration can come easily, especially if you’re a new student trying to balance school with other priorities.
When a student comes to her with this problem, Leeandra’s response is simple: “Let’s talk about it. Let’s get to the bottom of this, and then I’ll explain it in my own words to them,” she notes.
Most of the time, she says, this approach leads to a “lightbulb moment” that eases nerves and helps a student understand not only the question, but also the process they can take to reach a solution.
Second, sometimes students need reassurance that they’re on the right track. In these cases, Leeandra says she’ll ask questions of her own, with the goal of providing constructive feedback rather than direct answers, so that the student will use their own critical thinking to reach the right conclusion.
“They need that confirmation to say, ‘Hey I did it. I’ve done the assignment, can you just look at this and tell me, did I do this right?’” she says.
Often, Leeandra will be asked questions about a particular assignment or concept. When this happens, she says, her job is to help a student navigate through their own thinking process.
“I’ll ask questions like, ‘What do you think that means?’ or ‘How do you want to handle this?’” she says.
Third, sometimes, just hearing her questions can help a student work through the issue on their own. Other times, Leeandra will ask questions that prompt more reflection, such as, “Do you think this could be the answer?” or “Why doesn’t this option make sense to you?” in order to encourage independent problem-solving.
Ultimately, Leeandra’s goal is to empower students to take ownership of the learning process, a method that not only leads to the right answers, but will help build confidence along the way.
- Develop a strategy for success
Whenever a student asks Leeandra the “secret” to maintaining her 4.0 GPA, she explains that her strategy is rooted in dedication, adaptability, and attention to detail. Everyone’s approach is different, of course, but she uses four keys to success that others can easily apply to their work:
Commitment and consistency. Leeandra emphasizes there’s no secret formula to unlock success. Rather, she says, “Just get in there, do your work and try to make it better than average.”
Attention to quality. A clear, consistent writing style with strong, provable arguments is key, but so are the little details, Leeandra insists.
“Anybody can write a paper, but is your paper using the correct formatting?” she says. “Are you running it through Grammarly? Are you using academic voice?
Adapting to feedback. This is critical, Leeandra says, as students just starting school will sometimes get their first assignments back and realize there’s a specific method their instructors want them to adhere to.
In one instance, she had an instructor who didn’t want her to use a specific type of resource in discussion posts, so she pivoted and adapted to their style of teaching.
“I think that’s what has kept me at a 4.0, is that I try to adapt. I don’t try to say, ‘Oh no, I’m right, you’re grading this wrong,’ because in the end, as my mom always used to say, ‘Your teacher holds your life in their hands.’”
She adds that students shouldn’t feel they can’t defend their work to an instructor, but that’s it important to take their advice, understand what they’re looking for, and apply it throughout the course.
Patience is key. Success doesn’t come overnight, but it’s achievable, Leeandra says.
“A lot of people complete their master’s degree, and then go for a second one,” she says. “So, just go get this one, and once you get the ball rolling, I think you’ll do great things moving forward.”
Planning for Her Family’s Future
Leeandra’s husband is nearing graduation, and the couple – married for 13 years – is starting to plan for a future beyond school.
Knowing that her business administration degree will bolster her skills, Leeandra is hoping to jump into a role that will align with personal and professional goals.
“I felt like business administration had a lot more jobs that I could use my skill set, and I felt like the degree aligned with what I’m already strong with,” she says. “I’m also considering joining the military and I would like to do something that is along a business administration job in the military.”
For now, she’s going to focus on maintaining her 4.0 GPA and helping other students achieve the same feat. And her final piece of advice for any student about to log into the online classroom for the first time?
“Knock it out. Just get in there and get those introductions done,” she advises.