Nikki Rodelas Morris is an Academic Advisor in Texas ECE. We sat down to speak with her in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month.
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE DOING NOW.
I work as an Academic Advisor & love helping students. I am a mother of three and wife of an Austin Firefighter. I love spending time with my kids, playing or spending time outside. My life is very hectic & very busy all the time, & I hardly have any downtime, but it makes for a good daily adventure. In the little free time I do get, I enjoy listening to music, going to the movies, and finding new or fun things to do- like escape rooms, concerts, festivals, museums, and more.
HOW DID YOU END UP AT TEXAS ECE? WHAT PATH LED YOU HERE?
I was born in far west Texas in the Sun City, El Paso, TX. I earned by Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences (Pre-Med) from The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) but chose not to pursue to medical school like my original teenage-self wanted to. While at UTEP, I worked as an undergraduate Teaching Assistant & realized I LOVED working with students & helping them find their way through life & college. Once I discovered this passion, I realized I wanted to change my major but felt too much pressure to do so I pressed on as a pre-med student. As a junior in college, I had my first child, which was a large contributor to continue working towards my pre-med degree. I graduated about a year & a half later. After I graduate, I took some time off to raise my daughter. 3 years later I started my Masters program at UT Austin in Higher Education Leadership & worked as a Graduate Assistant in ECE advising. I loved it & decided to stay around for the long-run as a full-time ECE Advisor.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT WORKING AT UT AUSTIN, AND/OR WORKING WITH STUDENTS?
I have always felt a connection with helping people & have found myself helping older students since before I realized it was my passion. I would tutor college students in a variety of subjects & loved seeing their progress, as well as their excitement about knowing how to move forward. As an advisor, I get to see students passion for their undergraduate career, & sometimes their dislike, & I get to help them find clarity, solutions, or a path forward to strengthen their true passions. It is a unique magic getting to see students grow & help them in that process.
WHAT IS AN IMPORTANT LESSON YOU HAVE LEARNED IN YOUR LIFE/CAREER THAT YOU WISH YOU COULD GO BACK AND TELL YOUR YOUNGER SELF?
I wish I could tell my younger self that there are so many different ways to do life. As a young person (or at any age, really) it is easy to compare yourself to everyone around you. As I looked around as a pregnant student, I started to feel very low & “behind” in my degree, but “ahead” of where I should have been in life at that point because I had a child. I realize now that I should have never let myself compare my journey with others because my way of doing things was exactly what I needed to succeed. I wish I knew that just because things looked different for me did not mean I was less or behind or not doing as well.
WHO HAS BEEN A MAJOR INFLUENCE ON YOUR LIFE?
It is so hard to answer this question because I have had so many major influences in my life. Personally, my mother has been a huge influence on how I approach professional & personal circumstances in my life. She has always exemplified hard work, professionalism, & sternness in everything she does. She earned a high paying job without a degree & did it all while raising 4 children. She has been an absolute amazing role model by showing what I can be with hard work.
WHAT DOES HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH MEAN TO YOU?
Hispanic Heritage Month brings about the opportunity to show the true nature of Hispanic culture, including the love that I believe Hispanic culture is centered around. It allows people an insight to the different ways people can be raised & allows the opportunity for people to use a sense of empathy when interacting with others. It creates a space to be overtly proud when maybe people feel like they cannot be otherwise. It is a designated safe “space” that I hope can become a standard for every person, every day.
HOW HAS YOUR HISPANIC HERITAGE AFFECTED YOUR LIFE IN A UNIQUE WAY?
My Hispanic heritage brings about so many feelings of love. When I think of my roots & my culture, I think about how it oozes support, love, color, & delicious food. When I think about being Mexican, I feel warmth. I remember my family & I think that Mexican culture centers family in such a huge way that it never leaves you.
