Meet Our Team: Laura Eberly, SPHP Program

Laura Eberly, Student Service Advisor

‘Meet our Team’ spotlights are just one way we like to share a little bit about the people who are dedicated to the University of New England’s Online signature student-centric experience.

What do you do here at UNE Online?

I am a Student Service Advisor in the Science Prerequisites for Health Professions program.

What stands out to you with the prerequisite courses that you work within?

How unique our program is! We provide students with the opportunity to enroll in self-paced, prerequisite courses as a non-matriculated student, which means you won’t need to apply to the University of New England to enroll! We also offer frequent start dates and there is always something keeping us busy and challenging us.

Learn more about our online science prerequisites courses

What’s your favorite part about being a Student Service Advisor?

This is my first role in higher education and I like the challenge of assisting so many students at a time, working in a small, but busy team, and being able to learn so much from my team and how our program fits into the world of higher education!

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you want to travel to?

My boyfriend, Matt, and I love to travel! Here we are at the top of the Empire State Building in NYC.

I am constantly adding to my personal bucket list, but the one place I hope to visit someday is South Africa. Ever since I can remember, I have wanted to visit South Africa and learn all about the cultures, people, languages, etc. that can be found there! My dream is to go on an African safari and see the “Big Five”, so fingers crossed I have that opportunity some day!

What’s the best professional advice you’ve received?

Learn wherever you can. As a recent graduate, I am professionally curious about how processes work, how different departments collaborate and work together, the responsibilities of each role, and how they fit together to create one large higher education machine. I am still exploring the pathways of this field and I like having the opportunity to learn everything to find areas I am passionate about.

With over thirty prerequisite courses offered, do you have a favorite prerequisite course? If yes—what course and why?

As someone with a BA in Social and Behavioral Science, I definitely am proud of how we have expanded our social science courses lately! Our psychology courses are all really interesting and have some really cool content and assignments. We currently offer Introduction to Psychology, Developmental Psychology, and Abnormal Psychology. I think everyone would benefit from taking these courses as there is information that can be applied to all aspects of life, beyond just degree requirements.

What advice do you have for individuals interested in registering for one of our prerequisite courses?

Ask questions and reach out to our team! These courses are so unique and I feel that it is important that students take the initiative and responsibility to research these courses, how the program works, and understand policies because they are different from traditional “on-ground” programs/courses. Our team is extremely knowledgeable and willing to provide students with the information if they ask!

If you could give one tip to students who enroll in one of our prerequisite courses, what would that tip be?

Create a schedule that you follow throughout the duration of the course. I personally use a planner and write down all the things I have to get done in a week there. If you get a little off track, that is okay, but I think having written guidelines to keep you on pace is going to be super beneficial. These courses require a lot of self-discipline and accountability, so having an outline of how you plan on accomplishing the course would be my advice for students.

Do you have any pets?

I do not have any pets that live with me, but our family has two dogs that live with my parents in Virginia. The oldest, Barney, a 16-year-old cocker spaniel, has been with our family for 14 years! That is half of my life, so he is obviously my best friend. My brother adopted Koda, a 5-year-old mix, from a shelter as a puppy. I love getting to go home to visit my family, but mostly for the pups! 😉

Stay tuned for more of our team profiles! In the meantime, click here to learn more about our Science Prerequisites for Health Professions class offerings that Laura supports as a Student Service Advisor. You can also:

Learn more about our online science prerequisites courses