Ep. 2 - Cami Christopulos - Emerging Voices

Cami Christopoulos, Assistant Director for the Leadership Scholars Program at Loyola University Chicago, shares her inspiring journey through higher education. In this episode, Cami opens up about her passion for advising first-generation and low-income students, her student-centered philosophy, and her experience with NACADA’s Emerging Leaders Program. From conference aspirations to building community and finding joy beyond the office, Cami’s story is one of growth, impact, and heart. Don’t miss this powerful conversation with a rising leader in academic advising! 

*Emerging Voices is a spinoff of the Adventures in Advising podcast!

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Transcript

Matt Markin: [00:00:00] Hello and welcome to Emerging Voices an Emerging Leaders Program series where we interview those in the NACADA Emerging Leaders Program. My name's Matt Markin from California State University San Bernardino, and I am with, 

Bri Harvie: I'm Bri Harvie from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. 

Matt Markin: Oh, Bri, we're gonna kick things off.

Matt Markin: Who's our guest today? 

Bri Harvie: Today we have Cami Christopulos joining us. 

Matt Markin: Yay, Cami, how are you? 

I'm good. I'm good. Excited to connect with you all and yeah, talk all things emerging leaders. 

Matt Markin: Yes, absolutely. So let's first read your bio and then we're gonna dive into some questions for you. And so Cami serves as the assistant director for the Leadership Scholars Program.

Matt Markin: And in her role she works with students who are first generation and low or limited income from diverse backgrounds and wears multiple hats. As an academic advisor, a program coordinator. Student [00:01:00] worker, supervisor she also serves as the vice chair of the university. Staff Council is a co-chair for a Pride Network Affinity Group, and works on the Student Success Staff Development Committee.

Matt Markin: Cami graduated with her bachelor's degree in marketing and management. And obtained her master's degree in higher education administration and policy shames to live out her advising philosophy, which is to help students reach their fullest potential by providing ample opportunities and resources for growth, and offering guidance and support to achieve success.

Matt Markin: Right on. So Cami, let's kinda expand upon the bio. We learned a little bit from your bio, but can you expand upon it and tell us a little bit about your journey in higher ed? 

Cami Christopulos: Yes, definitely. So I always like to preface to say I love the education space. Since I was a little kid. I wanted to be a teacher.

Cami Christopulos: But then really being in higher ed, I realized that I wanted to be on the more administrative side of things, but didn't know what that was. So I obtained a business degree, worked [00:02:00] in the corporate field for about three years and realize. I miss working with students. I miss being that person that they can go to for advice, for guidance, so on and so forth.

Cami Christopulos: So I like to say I quit my nice full-time paying job for a stipend internship in higher ed, and it was the best decision I ever made. Getting to work with students who have similar backgrounds to me, especially first generation and being a resource for students just in and throughout their entire college.

Cami Christopulos: Experience has been really rewarding. I've gotten to work with TRIO programs in the past and now work with a program kind of similar to Trio, but is donor funded versus grant funded. So it's been really unique getting to see a little bit different side of advising. I like to say that. The academic advising that I do is like a third of my job, as you mentioned.

Cami Christopulos: So a lot of my day-to-day is more so program coordination or supervision of student workers, but during those heightened advising seasons definitely with the students helping plan out their academic plans and guidance and things like that. 

Matt Markin: Yeah. And of course [00:03:00] we're recording this towards the end of April of 2025.

Matt Markin: So I would imagine that it's already there where it's peak advising season. 

Cami Christopulos: Yes, definitely. We are our advising season has ended. It ended a couple weeks ago, thankfully, so students are currently taking finals around my office. So being mindful and considerate of their time. But I think what I really enjoyed about.

Cami Christopulos: My past four years of being an academic advisor is really being that resource for them to say, what does this mean? Why do I have to take all these classes? Where do I have to go? And saying, it's okay, you are. I always remind students, you're a human first. You're a student second. And it's my job to be there to help them be that student that they wanna be.

Cami Christopulos: Those random chemistry classes or writing intensive courses that they need to take are just. A blip in their college degree. But it's good to be able to sit down and really explain things and then always see those light bulb moments when students say, oh, I actually understand it.

Cami Christopulos: And having [00:04:00] those recognition to say, I can do this. And really having that sense of autonomy with their academic planning and degree as well. 

Bri Harvie: Yeah, that's awesome. And I think it's such an important role to have somebody. In your academic life that can say it will be okay, and we will get through this.

Bri Harvie: You've mentioned, or you did mention that you your advising is now only about a third of your role, so now you're an assistant director. How do you translate that same advising philosophy into the other parts of your role? Role when you're not actually face to face with the students themselves?

Cami Christopulos: Yeah, definitely. So I think what I really enjoy about my role is I do get to see students fairly often, especially because of the program coordinator side. Given that we are a leadership development program, we host biweekly workshops for students that allow them to really delve into what their leadership is, both on and off campus.

Cami Christopulos: Right behind me, if you're watching a video version of this, I actually have all of our students' leadership philosophies hung up on my wall because that [00:05:00] is really important for me to see. For me to have students see themself in the space. Knowing that when I was in college, I was a first gen student.

Cami Christopulos: I'm an only child, so I really wanted to find my places and spaces on campus. So my hope is that when students come to my office. They can see themselves visually represented in the space. The leadership philosophy is something that they create in what we call University one oh one, which is essentially like a first year class that all students take.

Cami Christopulos: But the students that I oversee have a specific section with just me, so I also get. A little bit of teaching in serving as that UNIV 1 0 1 instructor and they craft their leadership philosophy with their own values, their clip and strengths and really how they wanna view their leadership. So being able to help them craft that is really great.

Cami Christopulos: But I know that with the program coordinator role, it can be a lot of the backend things, lots of documents, lots of excel things. I think that's really great for me because I thrive in that administrative. Space. And I love to really tackle problems, have a little bit more of [00:06:00] that siloed or backend processing.

Cami Christopulos: But being face-to-face with students allows me to see the why of what I'm doing with my work. I think a lot of the administrative things is the what and the how, but when I'm sitting down with a student and they're talking with me, all of that backend work is why I do what I do. So it's been really great to manage.

Cami Christopulos: Having some administrative portions and having that in-person face-to-face with students. But I think coming into my role adjusted advising, I didn't realize how much administrative work there would be, and especially with the the role specifically that I do, it's a lot of making sure that, the.

Cami Christopulos: Dotting the I's crossing the T's, but I have a really great team around me to support, even though the work I do is a one woman team. I have a really great support system with other advisors and administrators in the space. 

Matt Markin: That's awesome. And a lot of the backend stuff too, you're putting out fires before hopefully students know about it.

Matt Markin: Or if they do, they just doesn't turn into something larger than that. But that's [00:07:00] also about the philosophies that you have on the back there, on your wall. Is that something that you've done recently or that you've done from the start? 

Cami Christopulos: Yeah, so this program kind of came about in 2022. The Leadership Scholars Program was created based on a very generous donation from alums of the college, John and Kathy Schreiber.

Cami Christopulos: And it was really great for them to provide funding for students to obtain their degree. So as part of the program, the students do get a scholarship as well as the, support from staff and administrators. So they have myself as their dedicated academic advisor. We also have dedicated career and financial liaisons, as well as one-on-one tutoring aspects, which not everyone at Loyola University Chicago has.

Cami Christopulos: So it's been really great to provide that aspect, and that's been something from the beginning that as I went through my, journey in terms of being an advisor. Everyone or most of the people say, create an advising philosophy that'll help drive your work, that'll help you be a better advisor.

Cami Christopulos: So I wanted to [00:08:00] bring that when I first came into this role for the program to say if I have a philosophy as an advisor. Why can't students have their own philosophy in terms of their leadership? So I did a lot of digging, some advice from my mentors in the past after going through my own leadership development program in my undergrad to say, how can I help students craft their own philosophy statement that they can modify in the years to come?

Cami Christopulos: I remind students that. One statement doesn't have to be the one thing that you know defines your whole life. And what I really appreciate about the philosophy statements is when students look at their philosophy statement, we do review them on a semesterly basis for them to say, Hey, I actually had this experience.

Cami Christopulos: I wanna tweak or modify this word, or I actually wanna. Add the sentence, remove that because it shows their growth and development. But I also love students who are like, that is my statement. I am still living by it and here's why X, Y, and Z. And they like spell it out. I'm like, I don't need justification.

Cami Christopulos: But I love that they're actively participating and saying, this is my statement and this is how I'm [00:09:00] representing the statement that I created both on campus and off campus in different opportunities. 

Bri Harvie: Do you, I love this. I think this is so great and I love the idea that we have, like we have advising philosophies.

Bri Harvie: It's so great to be able to give our students the chance to do that too. And I know when I think about my own journey in higher education, my advising philosophy has like totally 180. Do you ever have students that come after their first semester a year or whatever and just be like, I was not even close.

Bri Harvie: And how do you walk them through that, like the total flip, the complete revamp of their. Leadership philosophy. 

Cami Christopulos: Yeah. I, funny enough you say that. I have a student who came in first semester, first year student wrote. What I like to say was the longest philosophy I've ever seen. It was like a good paragraph, but he really was intentional about fitting everything in every single one of his strengths, every single one of his values.

Cami Christopulos: And it was really on him. He came back in his second semester to be like. Cami when sent me the, my statement to prepare for this meeting, I [00:10:00] realized this isn't me. And I'm like, okay, talk to me about that. Why is it not you? And he's I put a lot of words in thinking, it wasn't assignment as part of our unit 1 0 1 class.

Cami Christopulos: He's I put in the words, but I didn't put in the meaning and like the heart of who I am. So we really sat down and talked through, what words or pieces did he want to stick with. But he. I'll say has been a tremendous superstar in terms of getting involved on campus. So with his involvements from first to second semester, he is this is how I'm living out my philosophy.

Cami Christopulos: Let me start to integrate the actual actions that I'm doing into my statement a lot better. So for him it was a little bit of realization, but I do see some of it also come from students changing their majors saying, Hey, I was pre-med, but now I'm business. Like, how does that differ between how I want to live out my leadership?

Cami Christopulos: What I also really respect about the students is it's not always major driven. So yes, they may change their major 2, 3, 4, 5 times, but their leadership might be the same in terms of how they wanna show up [00:11:00] in a certain community or represent a certain area. Yeah, I see a lot more like wording tweaks at a total revamp, but it is really cool to be part of that process to say, Hey, let me just talk through this with you.

Cami Christopulos: I am merely their scribe. I never have any input unless like they directly ask me for it. But it's cool to, to see their brain working and really have them create their own statement that they wanna live out. 

Matt Markin: Awesome. I like how you put that, that I'm their scribe and I'm just here to guide them, give some tips, but they're essentially doing it all.

Matt Markin: Now you were mentioning involvement, and so your role as it is pretty involved. You do things also outside of that at your institution. But also outside your institution, within NACADA. I think we're curious too, to know about how that journey started your involvement in NACADA and then how that led into you applying for the Emerging Leaders program.

Cami Christopulos: Definitely. So when I. First heard about NACADA, it was in my master's [00:12:00] program, and they were like, join NACADA. It's a great resource and I feel like we hear a lot of things, but maybe don't do them. And I wish I would've joined NACADA during my graduate time 'cause I know it would've been really useful. But I really got more involved when I had my first advising role.

Cami Christopulos: And it was really talked about within administration in the department, other advisors to say. Is great. I've presented at conferences, there's all these different committees. So I joined as a member. I went to a couple conferences. It was in the height of COVID when I started my advising in 2020. So I did a lot of virtual things to start and then did a couple in-person conferences.

Cami Christopulos: I was also part of the region five mentoring. Program for a couple of years too. But it was really ironically when I listened to Matt's wonderful podcast, adventures and Advising where I heard Joe Cruz come on and talk about the Emerging Leaders program. And I had seen a lot of things, read a lot of emails, but I'm like, I'm not qualified for that.

Cami Christopulos: I don't think that's really where [00:13:00] I can fit in because I don't have a lot of NACADA experience. But in hearing Joan talk about it and really doing a little bit more digging, I realized. I might actually have the qualifications to become an emerging leader. So in doing the application and really looking into it, it was great to see how they really wanted to highlight underrepresented populations for NACADA.

Cami Christopulos: So I typically don't think of myself as an underrepresented population, but what I really enjoyed about looking at the ELP website to say. Under representative doesn't always have to mean identity based. It could also be in terms of institutions. So I myself am part of the lgbtq plus community, so that was one of the factors that I did highlight on my application.

Cami Christopulos: But then I also saw that private institution was one of the underrepresented places and. Where I work now and where I've worked before have both been private institutions, so it's been really great to highlight that and bring those insights to ELP and just see that it's not always talked about in [00:14:00] terms of different institution types, but it does play a big factor in terms of how one does academically advise.

Cami Christopulos: So it's been great to really be involved in NACADA and through that I've really jumped in with presentations and running for chair positions and stuff. So it's been a great start to my ELP journey. 

Bri Harvie: I feel like we hear that a lot from folks who end up in ELP. We don't hear it so much from people who don't, but a lot of I, that's not me.

Bri Harvie: I'm not qualified enough or haven't been doing this long enough, or I'm not unique enough. I don't have that representation piece where I am a specific population that I can represent and speak for. What do you think about the, what was it about the website or what you heard from Joan and love Joan.

Bri Harvie: She's such a great voice for the program. Was there something in particular. In the podcast or when you were looking at the website that kinda made you do that? Oh, may, maybe this is actually me. Was there was it just thinking about the institution type or was there something [00:15:00] that you thought maybe you could bring that nobody else could bring?

Bri Harvie: I. 

Cami Christopulos: Yeah, I think it was a little bit the institution type, just given my experiences of being a private institution for the past couple of years. I also think, which is one part of my goal is for ELP, which I can definitely delve into, but being a, an advisor that's not always a hundred percent advising, as I talked about before.

Cami Christopulos: I also thought because I'm not a hundred percent advising. I can't be an ELP, but that's not the case. I was just at the region five conference and having sessions for faculty advisors or just advising administrators like ELP, welcomes anyone who has involvement with advising. And I'm noticing that more and more now that I'm delving into many aspects of NACADA.

Cami Christopulos: But I think really what. Helped me take the leap to apply was also attending the ELP informational sessions where people said I applied 2, 3, 4 times to be an ELP. So that's also a piece of advice for those [00:16:00] out there is even if you don't get chosen for ELP your first time, that doesn't mean that NACADA doesn't want you to be an ELP.

Cami Christopulos: It just means that maybe they're looking for different experiences and they'll provide. Feedback on your application as to maybe other ways you can get involved to bolster your application in the years to come. So I think a lot of that reassurance and then in talking with some mentors of mine, whenever I tell this to students and they reminded me of my own philosophy in another way, but when people say, why apply?

Cami Christopulos: I say, why not? The worst thing that can happen is, you don't get the opportunity, but the best thing is you get it. So I think that was also a mental switch in my mind to say, I say that to students, go for it. Why not? And I should really apply that to myself as well. We like to give all this advice to students, but then we don't always take it for ourselves.

Cami Christopulos: So this is a good reminder to, to do what you preach as well. 

Bri Harvie: I always say advisors make the worst advisees.[00:17:00] 

Bri Harvie: That is 

Matt Markin: both of you. A hundred percent true. I'm guilty of that as well. You were mentioning the region conference running for steering committee position. So is that, were those some of the goals that, that you initially came up with for your first year in the program? 

Cami Christopulos: Yes. I will say my goals when I initially applied to ELP were a little bit vague, a little bit not well defined, but what I really appreciated about the orientation for the Emerging Leaders program is it was a nice three hour chunk during the annual conference that we all got together.

Cami Christopulos: But what was really great is we broke down the three different areas of NACADA and how involvement in each area could look. And that really got me thinking of how do I want to delve into. One area or two really more deeply and then obviously grow in a lot of ways to come. So my current slash completed three goals that I have, one of them was presenting at a regional or [00:18:00] annual conference about my kind of specialized.

Cami Christopulos: Population that I advise. Another goal that I had was to obtain a steering committee role in region five. And then my last one is a little bit more far reaching and will definitely be a lot of years in NACADA, but it's really how to prepare NACADA for the emerging generation of incoming leaders because every single.

Cami Christopulos: Advisor, needs to be trained, needs to be onboarded in their role. But how can NACADA as an organization prepare for those Gen z Gen alpha advisors to come into the organization for that. So that is my far reaching goal. But I think a lot of that will come with the involvements that I'm currently in.

Cami Christopulos: But yes, I. The first goal with the region, conference prep, preparation and presentation was a random connection. But when I first joined ELPI wanted to get started. Right away I am like, how do I delve in? How do I get involved? So I actually reached out to our ELP Listserv to say, [00:19:00] Hey, it's my first time presenting at a conference.

Cami Christopulos: I have a couple ideas. Would anyone be willing to talk about these with me? And one of the ELP mentors who was not my mentor assigned to me, but Leon Weinstein reached out and was like, Hey, I also advise specialized populations. Do you wanna co go co-present? I'm like, oh my gosh, this is so cool. I'm developing this relationship already.

Cami Christopulos: So we started preparing for a presentation, realized that we both work at private institutions and wanted to get that public university perspective. Leonardo reached out and we got Thomas Beckwith to come on with us. So we all just presented at the region five conference together. And then I also presented at.

Cami Christopulos: Or presented a poster session by myself about a co-advising model that I used to have between academic and career co-advising. And what was really great about that is I had my poster all ready to go, but to get a second pair of eyes on it, make sure everything was. Working and everything looked good.

Cami Christopulos: I reached out to my [00:20:00] formal ELP mentor Alison ing Cooper, and she took a look, had really great recommendations of how to format things, really bold things to stand out and everything. So shout out to her for that advice. So the conference was great, had a really great time presenting and a lot of learnings to come in terms of how I want to.

Cami Christopulos: Prepare, prepare and present at future conferences. So I did get accepted for a concurrent session for the annual conference for 2025, so I'm super pumped about that. And then the second goal that I've really made progress on is delving into the Region five steering committee and just region five at large.

Cami Christopulos: So I. Also reached out to just ELP mentors in general to say, Hey, I'm interested in running for region five. Here's the couple of positions I'm interested in running for. Does anyone have advice? So Mike G reached out amazing ELP mentor and was like, Hey, let's talk. And then he also looped in Matt Markin and Sarah Howard.

Cami Christopulos: And we had a [00:21:00] three-on-one advising session as to how to really craft my statement for. Running for the steering committee positions. Had a really great discussion about where my growth was in certain areas, but also where my skill sets currently excel at and, which position would fit best for me.

Cami Christopulos: So I ultimately chose one. Ran for the position, was a little bit nervous 'cause I was up against a couple other people, but ultimately did obtain the region. Sorry, region five awards chair position for 20 25, 20 27, and that would not have been made possible. Any of this would have not been possible without the support of the amazing ELP mentors and community.

Cami Christopulos: So it's been really great to tackle two of my goals thus far and now really see what's next for me in terms of the organization. 

Matt Markin: But isn't that funny how, literally just asking a question, just putting it out there, and then how much feedback or suggestions or help that, that you might get with it?

Matt Markin: But also just knowing as [00:22:00] much as, a few of us may have offered some advice, you still had to do all the work for it. Kudos to you on everything that, that you've been doing thus far and will continue to be doing in the future. 

Bri Harvie: I feel like. This might seem like a bit of a silly question given that your goals have all gone so well, but I'm gonna ask it anyway.

Bri Harvie: So thinking you set these three goals and you said one of them is very far reaching. That one's gonna take a little bit of time, but the other two were successful right out the gate. And you not only did one presentation at the conference, the first time you're presenting, you did two in a poster. Like it's, you've gone above and beyond and I love that.

Bri Harvie: What would you say though, or what advice would you give to people who are setting those goals early in the ELP program and things maybe aren't going according to plan, have you had to adjust your thinking on how you approach them? How would you approach that change? 

Cami Christopulos: That's a good question.

Cami Christopulos: I think what I really appreciate about ELP is. Also what we tell [00:23:00] students too, right? Thinking about what advice do we give students that we need to think of ourselves is you set a goal, but it's a goal, right? It's not you have to achieve this. So I think my biggest advice, if people are working on goals, whether in ELP or not.

Cami Christopulos: It's okay to change things because that means you're recognizing what needs to be done for you to achieve some type of success in your own mind. And success for you doesn't mean it's the same success for the other ELP leaders, so on and so forth. So what I also love about the kind of new format for ELP being a little bit more cohort or pod.

Cami Christopulos: Is we get a lot of interaction with other emerging leaders and other mentors and created that sense of family and community. So it's been really fun to hear about how people may have had initial goals, but then in terms of learning more about NACADA, they're like, that's actually not how I wanna be involved at this current point in time.

Cami Christopulos: So I think that's another thing that I've learned too, is the more I learn about NACADA, the more I'm tweaking as [00:24:00] to. The goals I wanna set for how I see my own professional growth. So I know a lot of people are really focused on the more administrative side, maybe looking at, board of directors or other things in terms of that.

Cami Christopulos: Administrative skill sets that they have. Others are full in on region, others are full in on advising communities. Others are really dedicated about publications. So I think in terms of coming in, one of my, one of my initial goal was really farfetched to be, I want to present and or write about my experiences as an advisor in these settings.

Cami Christopulos: I gravitated toward the presentation because that's what I knew. I feel like best or well, or that's what really took off. But that's not to say I can't write in the future. So that might be a different goal that I set for myself later on. But I think what I really appreciate about the aspect of goal setting, again, do this a lot with my students.

Cami Christopulos: When we connect every semester and they say, oh shoot, I didn't reach that goal. I'm like, [00:25:00] okay, let's talk about it. Why didn't you reach it? Things that came up. I think we also have to remember we are humans first and then advisors second, or however we wanna phrase it, so life can get in the way, and that's okay.

Cami Christopulos: That's just what is meant to happen at a certain time. But not to get too down on yourself if you don't achieve something, that just means that you need to tweak and modify things to come. But you'll still have a great support system throughout ELP and NACADA at large to help you reach whatever that next step or that next goal is.

Matt Markin: Love it. And Dr. Wendy Troxel always talks about how if you present at a conference, if you were to record it and transcribe that audio, like that literally could be an initial first draft of a possible publication. So I hope anyone listening to this. Take advantage of that. Absolutely. 'cause you're doing the work, you've already done it, you're presenting it.

Matt Markin: That could be written into some sort of publication. And then as far as Virgin Leaders Pro go with this cohort. So it's the 2024 to 2026 cohort. You all [00:26:00] seem to have really connected as emerging leaders together. Like you all are very active on WhatsApp, so definitely I need to put my notifications back on and jump back into that Now.

Matt Markin: Have you learned anything about yourself since being in the Emerging Leaders program? 

Cami Christopulos: That's a good question. I think the biggest thing I learned about myself is. To not compare. And I think that might seem silly for some, we hear a lot of imposter syndrome in terms of comparing ourselves with different advisors in the office.

Cami Christopulos: And I think that might be a little more common because you might be working in a similar role to someone else. But coming into ELPI didn't really sense that expectation of. Hey, I need to do exactly what my other fellow emerging leaders are doing. So I do tend to compare myself in other areas, I think within my role at Loyola.

Cami Christopulos: But I think what I learned through ELP is comparison doesn't have to equal. Success in a way, like by comparing myself to another emerging leader [00:27:00] who's at a different institution, who has a different job title, who has different responsibilities, both personally and professionally. I don't have to do what my fellow pod mate is doing or what other fellow emerging leaders are doing because their goals are different than mine.

Cami Christopulos: So I think. That was a really good sense of reassurance to say, I am on my own path. People will come in and out along the way, but I don't have to do exactly what every other emerging leader is doing. A little bit of that imposter syndrome has been relieved through ELP. So shout out to ELP for curing imposter syndrome.

Cami Christopulos: Maybe not curing, that's we won't advertise that, but really helping me say. I am okay developing on my own with the support of others and having that, cheerleader sense of a community along the way.

Bri Harvie: It is. And it's such a great program for that because I feel like it does what it's done for you for a lot of people where they feel like, oh, I'm maybe not qualified enough to apply, and then they apply and then they do, and it's so that [00:28:00] perception that I wasn't good enough to apply in the first place was obviously something I was putting on myself.

Bri Harvie: So imposter syndrome defeated, and then you get into the program and all of the amazing things other people are doing, but you're also doing amazing things and it's, it become, it's a very equalizing program. It's like success looks different for everybody, like you said. And so it's, it is, it's great for that.

Bri Harvie: And it feels crazy that we're already we're coming up on. We'll be halfway through the program at the next annual conference, which I mean is still a few months away, but That's awesome. Thinking about the next, the back half of the program, the next year, what do you hope to see for your, yourself and your pod and the other participants in ELP program?

Cami Christopulos: Yeah, so it's funny you say that. So my pod consists of myself our mentor, Allison, and then a fellow ELP leader, Kathleen. So we haven't had many meetings just due to schedules, but one of the core meetings that we had talked about. How we can collaborate and work together. And in hearing about what Kathleen does with her program, and I [00:29:00] do with mine, Allison's like you two can do a presentation.

Cami Christopulos: So we almost submitted one for the 2025 annual, but we would've been like within a week and wanted to flush things out a little bit more. So I think what the future holds is maybe a joint presentation with my pod, like having Allison be moderator and Kathleen and I being panelists or something like that.

Cami Christopulos: So it's been really cool to see these. Random goals come up because of the pod. But beyond that, I'm just excited to connect more with the other people within ELP and then outside of NACADA in general. I think along with that imposter syndrome that I was just talking about when I was at the 2025 annual conference.

Cami Christopulos: Walking through the sessions in this, big convention center. It was nerve wracking. It was my first in-person annual conference ever. I had done the virtual because of COVID and everything, but being in person was a little bit intimidating. I did have a couple people from my university be there, but they were at their own sessions doing their own things.

Cami Christopulos: But I saw EL peers like in the wild, like someone would be walking and I would wait, and it [00:30:00] was so cool to just see. That friendly and familiar face in a big setting where, there was a lot of unfamiliarity. And funny enough, I don't remember who it was, I think it was Hailey who was part of our cohort, was walking to a session.

Cami Christopulos: I'm like, Hey, where are you going? And she's I'm going to the past president's panel. Do you wanna come? I'm like, sure, why not? I was thinking about going to another session, but I was like, why not? Let me go to the past president's panel, see what that's all about. It was one of my favorite sessions of the conference because I got to hear a lot more about the history of ELP or from ELP and NACADA because all of the past presidents who I think were there, were part of the ELP program as a mentor or a former leader.

Cami Christopulos: So I actually had the courage to go up after, which is part of. ELPI will attribute to say, Hey, I'm Cammie. I'm part of ELP. I would really love to connect with you more about different areas. So I got connected with all four of the panelists and then really have maintained relationships with both Cecilia and [00:31:00] Jenny who are past presidents to have monthly bimonthly conversations, so even more mentors on top of my ELP mentors, which is great. So I look forward to just continuing those conversations and that famous word, networking because you never know where a connection can lead and have new opportunities for you both. Professionally in terms of your development, but also within the institution as well.

Cami Christopulos: It's been really great to bring that sense of NACADA excitement to Loyola. People definitely go to conferences, but I don't think the presence is as big here as other universities. I like to hopefully see myself as that NACADA liaison for my office and really bring that excitement and energy to fellow advisors in my areas as well.

Matt Markin: Yeah, you're definitely proving that. And I think it also just goes back to the camaraderie that you all have as emerging leaders in the program. I just remember at the Pittsburgh conference last October before the three hour orientation, we had to do like people were putting in WhatsApp, do you all wanna meet together, grab lunch [00:32:00] before the orientation?

Matt Markin: Hey, I found these three tables we can meet outside in the lobby area and then everyone's getting to know each other. And then it was time to go up to the, or to the orientation to the room and someone was like, no, we can't leave yet. 'cause I went to the restroom. We gotta wait for them. We all gotta go as a group.

Matt Markin: And I was like, this is amazing. I love already from the start how much everyone is connecting. But you've mentioned a lot about your role at your institution, NACADA, emerging Leaders program, all the goals, everything that, that you're accomplishing. But tell us about Kabi outside of your institution.

Matt Markin: Cami, outside of NACADA. 

Cami Christopulos: Yeah, so I will say first and foremost, I am a proud. Fish parent. I do unfortunately have allergies, so can't always have the furry friends, but I have my adorable little fish tank, junior, junior that we like to call him. Live with my partner in Chicago. I met my partner actually through the master's program that I was a part of.

Cami Christopulos: I like to say you are the most expensive boyfriend I've ever had. I got, had to get a master's degree to find you, we've made it work almost five years now. It's been great. [00:33:00] Outside of that, I love, just listening to audio books. Podcasts. I am semi-recently gluten-free, so I like to try to find the best gluten-free restaurants in the area.

Cami Christopulos: And yeah, enjoying the soon to be Chicago weather. It is currently 70 degrees outside, which is fantastic. So love just being outside and embracing a lot of those. Chicago, festivals and the different like markets and stuff that pop up. And I'm a big dog lover even though I do have allergies.

Cami Christopulos: So I'm all for down, all down for dog sitting, fellow friends dogs. As long as I take some, Claritin beforehand. 

Bri Harvie: I feel like we could do a whole series now you've put a couple ideas in my brain. It's not even my podcast, Matt. I'm taking over. Like advisors in the wild. You talked about seeing El peers Peelers, ELP, in the Wild at the conference and like the pets of ELP and like Seed Tank.

Bri Harvie: Junior. Junior and got cats and I have cats and dogs. Everybody's got something. I love this. I also love the comment about the [00:34:00] most expensive partner ever. 'Cause yeah, it's, where else are you supposed to meet people? It might as well be grad school, right? 

Cami Christopulos: Yes. Yeah. And what I do love about our relationship to shamelessly brag about my partner is we also have different interests.

Cami Christopulos: So it's a matter of, he works in study abroad for Northwestern. I work at Loyola and more so that academic advising. So it's fun to hear his perspective on higher ed and how. He interacts with students differently, the struggles that he might go through in his office versus mine. It, I think it's nice to have a partner who's in a similar field to compare and contrast, but I'm always like, I can never do your job.

Cami Christopulos: And he always says, I can never do yours. So we're never gonna fight for the same position, which is also good too. 

Matt Markin: Awesome. I love it. And Brie, I think this is a great opportunity where if anyone listens to this is how ideas happen. So this expands out into multiple different types of. Topics and interviews.

Matt Markin: I'm all for it. But Cami, thank you so much for joining Abry and I on Emerging Voices. Thank you so much. 

Cami Christopulos: Yes, thank [00:35:00] you both so much.