Bethany Fortier

Bethany Fortier is the single most encouraging person I have had the pleasure of encountering my college career. She is not the academic adviser I started with, but she is the mentor, professor, and friend I hope to keep post college. Her commitment to my success is extraordinary. She understands my needs in and out of the classroom and provides me with the tools and inspiration I need to prosper in the healthcare world.
To say that I haven’t taken the most traditional academic road is an understatement, but Bethany understands and has never judged me for this. When I blurted out that I need to make time for my job in order to continue my education here she completely understood and without skipping a beat began a hunt for courses that fit my unique schedule.
Her most stellar quality of being an adviser is her excitement whenever we enter her office. At the beginning of every course offering meeting Bethany provides a list of courses she guessed you were taking. It’s become a game to see if she’s correct (she is almost always correct (even with my wacky schedule)).
In the classroom she has the students in awe. Her person anecdotes and guest speakers provide an unparalleled experience. It is never blasé and it couldn’t possibly be boring with
Together we have compiled a list of graduate schools that I have a great shot of getting into, thanks to her pushing me to work hard in my classes and excel outside of the classroom. I would never have applied to be an Orientation Leader, gotten a job at an elementary school, or become a student representative on the HWOS council without her wisdom. Bethany always knows the next step in my pursuit of my dreams. She has encouraged me to try out anything I showed interest in, she helped me schedule meetings with Career Services to perfect my resume, and supported me in pursuing research in a setting I knew nothing