Meet Dr. Sarah Bell, Ph.D., LPC, NCC, CCSP, and director of the Pathways Center. Through Pathways, Dr. Bell and her team provide a wide variety of student support services, from tutoring and disability services to providing students with professional clothing through the Career Closet.
In her role, Dr. Bell focuses on student support initiatives and experiential education and opportunities, serving as the primary career development and Federal Work Study contact on campus. She is the Act 101 Educational Enrichment Program Director and The Washington Center Liaison at Waynesburg.
Q: For students who may not be familiar with the Pathways Center, what types of services and support are available through the Center?
A: The Pathways Center is Waynesburg University's comprehensive student support center, so the services offered are fairly extensive. We are home to academic and advising support, disability services, academic mentoring, the peer tutoring program, the campus referral system (MUM), the Writing Center, Eberly Library and related services, student-athlete support, the exploring/undecided program, career development, Federal Work Study, the Fostering Independence Through Education program, and the Act 101 Educational Enrichment program.
Q: How does having these resources together in one place benefit students?
A: We really do consider the Pathways Center a one-stop shop on campus. The goal with offering all of these services under the same umbrella was to make it as easy as possible for students, faculty, and staff to find resources and support. If students don't know where to go or who to ask, they can come to the Pathways Center! Having an office that incorporates all of these services in an integrated way is a student-centered approach. It allows our staff to collaborate more seamlessly and enables students to engage with many services in one location instead of needing to go to multiple offices for support.
If students don't know where to go or who to ask, they can come to the Pathways Center!
Q: What are some of the most common reasons students come to the Pathways Center for help?
A: Similar to the services offered, the reasons students come to the Pathways Center are very diverse. Last year, approximately 26% of undergraduate students connected to the Pathways Center for academic support. Additionally, approximately 200 students engaged in tutoring, 158 made an appointment with the Writing Center, and 153 were connected to Disability Services for accommodations or related support. In many cases, students come to us for assistance with challenges, but we also help students get connected to jobs, internships, and resources — and we run one of the largest work-study programs on campus in the library.
Q: Are there resources at the Pathways Center that you wish more students knew about or took advantage of?
A: Every resource in the Pathways Center is built with students in mind, and I would love to see more get connected with every service we offer. My personal favorite resource is our campus Career Closet, where students can get free professional clothing (to keep or to rent). Last year, approximately 140 students used the Career Closet, and they were able to take more than 190 items of clothing during their visits. This is a resource that I wish we had available when I was a student at Waynesburg, and I'd love for more students to be aware and to use it! We are constantly adding new items and the clothing is actually nice! Plus, while we do have some Career Closet hours that are staffed, we leave it open during all library hours even if staff are unavailable. This allows students to peruse and select items at their own pace using our self-check-out form (and for introverts like me, it gives them an option to use the resource with limited interaction with others!).
Q: When should students reach out to the Pathways Center? Is it better to seek support when they’re struggling or can students benefit from these resources even when they’re doing well?
A: Students do not have to wait to connect with the Pathways Center. While it is very common for students to reach out to us with challenges, we love to get to know students and support them throughout their journey at WU — and beyond as alumni. There are truly no questions too small for us; we really want students to ask, and we really do want to help.
If we think about this from the perspective of services offered:
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Proactive tutoring and academic support could lead to greater class success (rather than only seeking help after failing an exam).
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The Writing Center can look at any written work completed by a student and offer support — even strong writers can benefit from an extra set of eyes.
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The library staff can help students with research work, and they take requests when considering which books to add to the collection.
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Career development isn't supposed to be a struggle, and we love supporting students who are trying to find their purpose, navigating major decisions, or looking for job or internship opportunities.
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Putting an accommodation in place before a challenge arises can help set students up for success down the line (and our Disability Services Coordinator is a great student advocate).
I think one of the most common misconceptions is that students should only visit us if they are struggling academically, but even the highest achievers can benefit from added support. Students don't have to carry all of the pressure alone. We're here to help, and if we can't, we'll do our best to get students connected to someone who can.
Q: What advice would you give to incoming first-year students about taking advantage of the academic, career and other support resources available to them at Waynesburg?
A: Don't be afraid to talk to faculty and staff! I know sometimes it seems intimidating but start introducing yourself early and get to know people who work at Waynesburg — in the Pathways Center and beyond. This is the most proactive thing a student can do early that can set them up for success. It could make it easier to ask for help down the line, but it also could make it easier to ask for a reference or to make a connection that leads to something even greater.
Also, more practically, students should set up their WCOnline accounts early so that step is already done when it comes time to make tutoring and Writing Center appointments!
Q: What is one thing you wish every Waynesburg student knew about the Pathways Center?
A: To simplify what I've said up to this point: The Pathways Center team genuinely cares about students. We have a lot of supports available, and we have a great team who want to support students at every stage of their journey.
Q: What’s something students might be surprised to learn about you?
A: I'm a big Marvel Cinematic Universe fan (I've watched every movie, even the bad ones, and I'm excited for Doomsday). I've been to probably 15 Jonas Brothers concerts and traveled to 23 countries (Japan is next!). I'm a certified Swiftie and a huge Pittsburgh Steelers fan. And I have a twin sister who also graduated from Waynesburg University (and was a Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year Finalist!).
