Welcome to my bookings page! My name is Kaleolani Laymon (she/her), but most people call me Kaleo (ka-lay-oh).
I am the Academic Advisor/Coach for the RC Scholars (EEP/ACAD) and meeting with RC'ers is my favorite part of this job!
For many reasons! Meeting regularly with an Academic Advisor (at least once a quarter) can help you to stay on track academically, ensure you are fulfilling all necessary degree requirements, get you connected with important campus resources, help you troubleshoot UW-related questions, and offer you a space to process your academic experiences.
I provide RC Scholars with a wide array of support services, but the most common ones include:
Summer Advising & Orientation (A&O)
Course planning & registration
CADR planning & completion
Major prerequisite planning & completion
Major Exploration
Major application support
Navigating academic challenges & providing academic interventions, as needed
Understanding UW academic policy, degree requirements, and academic progress
Dropping classes or changing classes to pass/fail
All students are welcome to schedule 30-minute 1:1 advising or coaching appointments any time! Students can also schedule a 15-minute check-in meeting with me to introduce themselves, catch me up on any significant life events, or to stop by my office for a quick cup of tea or hot chocolate on the go!
I practice holistic advising, which means I care about you as a whole person, not just your academic performance or course schedule. During our meetings, I may ask (if relevant) about your overall wellbeing, your personal/educational/career goals, and the challenges/triumphs you experience outside the classroom, because I believe that your academic success is deeply interconnected with all other aspects of your life. If this is ever something you do not want to discuss and you would like for our conversation to only focus on academics, you are welcome to tell me this at any time.
At the heart of my work is Unconditional Positive Regard, which is a philosophical commitment to seeing and valuing you exactly as you are. You don’t need to prove anything to be worthy of my complete support and respect. You are allowed to be uncertain, to change your mind, to struggle, and to grow. You are not your GPA, your major, or your mistakes. You are a whole person, and you are worthy of care and support simply because you exist!
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My Favorite Saying:
“You are not doing it wrong, you are just in the space between who you are and who you are becoming. You are in the hardest part - the excitement of starting is gone, the clarity of finishing isn't here yet.
Welcome to the messy middle.
Your brain might tell you, "this shouldn't be hard," "It should come naturally right?" The messy middle is where most people quit - not because they are not capable, but because they mistake self-doubt for doing it wrong.
Growth is awkward. Progress is nonlinear. Mastery is build through hardship.
Instead of thinking, "I should have this figured out by now," reframe it to "this is what figuring it out feels like."
- Freek van Litsenburg