EIU Academic Support Center

Riley Doran

ASC: What is your major?

Riley: Biology/ Pre-Med.

ASC: When will/did you graduate?

Riley: Spring 2019.

ASC: What career aspirations do you have?

Riley: When it comes to my career, I hope to become a surgeon and be a part of Doctors Without Borders.

ASC: What other plans do you have after graduating from EIU?

Riley: After graduation I plan on attending medical school hopefully at Northwestern University in Chicago.

ASC: How did you become introduced to the Academic Support Center?

Riley: I was introduced to the Academic Support Center after being a part of the Summer Institute for Higher Learning the summer of 2015.

ASC: How long did you/have you been visiting someone in the ASC? Who did you visit? How often?

Riley: I have been visiting the ASC since Fall of 2015. I visit Maddie Owens (success coach) every other Monday. 

ASC: What were some academic problems you were facing prior to visiting the ASC?

Riley: Before visiting the ASC I struggled in school as a whole. I procrastinated, I wasn’t motivated, or organized and when it came down to needing help I didn’t know where to go or how to ask for it.

ASC: How did the ASC help you overcome your academic struggles?

Riley: The ASC helped me overcome my struggles by holding me accountable for my actions as well as helping me find solutions to my problems. My advisor helped me find tutors early on in the semester and opened my eyes to all of the resources available to me.

ASC: Have your academic habits continued to improve since you began visiting the ASC?

Riley: My academic habits have improved tremendously since I began visiting the ASC. I begin assignments as soon as they’re assigned and I do them to the best of my ability. I am aware of what I am capable of and I try to do better every day. 

ASC: Has your GPA improved? How much?

Riley: My GPA has improved greatly. I graduated high school with a 2.24 and I finished last semester with a 3.53

ASC: Would you recommend the ASC to other students? What would you say?

Riley: I would absolutely recommend the ASC to other students. I would tell them even if they feel they have everything under control by themselves, having someone there to help you out relieves a lot of stress school puts on you. 

ASC: Are there specific types of students you would recommend the ASC to?

Riley: I would say all students should be a part of the ASC no matter what their GPA is because there is always room for improvement and the ASC helps you rise to the next level.

ASC: Please provide a statement of your overall feelings of the ASC.

Riley: Overall, I love the Academic Support Center. I know I would not have done as well last semester if I didn’t have my bi-weekly meetings there. The friendly faces and environment is something I look forward to every time I have a meeting scheduled.

ASC: Other comments?

Riley: The ASC turned my attitude about school around completely. I found out soon after I began my meetings that school wasn’t impossible but it did include a lot of hard work but I did this hard work with the help of my advisor. 

Interview completed 1/27/2016