Congratulations, Brock, for winning Advisor of the Month from the National Association of College and University Residence Halls. Brock was nominated by student, Samantha Harwood. Below is Samantha’s nomination letter.
When it comes to setting the standard for what it means to effectively advise a group of students, no one has set the standard higher than Brock Sieb. Within the month of February, Brock was faced with several unique challenges, and he ultimately turned them into opportunities through which he has redefined what it means to be a good advisor.
Brock Sieb is incredible at what he does, and he certainly does a lot. Serving as the Residential Life Coordinator for a hall that is home to close to 400 first-year students and eleven community advisors, the advisor to his hall council, the co-advisor to RHA, and the advisor to the No Frills 2015 bid team is no easy task for anybody, but when you consider that this is Brock’s first year in these positions as a brand new professional, juggling all that he does on a regular basis is impressive. This month, however has proven to be nothing short of absolutely hectic, and when the time came that EWU needed him most, Brock went above and beyond the call of duty.
Upon returning for winter quarter, Brock had to work quickly to replace and train multiple new staff members and RHA executive board members after losing a significant number over the break. He has worked hard to make sure that they were able to flourish in their new positions. There are normally two RHA advisors, and because of this our university’s RHA executive board has been attempting to do much more than in the past in all capacities that range from programming to leadership training, and one of those endeavors was a bid to host No Frills 2015.
Early this month, however, Brock received a call informing him that his RHA and No Frills co- advisor was in labor and would very soon be giving birth to her first child. Brock wasted no time jumping in and taking on all of the responsibilities that would otherwise be split among two people, and truly began to shine as an advisor as the No Frills 2015 bid team prepared to present just a few weeks later. Whether it was working a fourteen hour day, answering his cell phone at midnight, or buying an energy drink for an exhausted delegate, Brock did anything necessary to make sure the bid team felt confident and prepared to showcase their university.
Brock made it very clear throughout the entire process that regardless of the outcome, everyone involved had so much to be proud of. His ability to connect so well with his students and help them reach their potential is a trait not easily found and his passion for helping students see the good in even the worst situations is unmatched by most. Although the bid team was not successful in its attempt to host the conference, Brock made it nearly impossible to be upset about it because he made sure to talk individually with everyone involved to encourage them to take pride in all that they were able to accomplish, and get them excited about trying again.
The work that Brock does on a regular basis encompasses everything that an OTM award seeks to recognize, and describing what he does that brings him so much fulfillment while benefiting the students that are lucky enough to work with him as well is very difficult to do in just 600 words. Brock’s accomplishments, however, throughout the month of February more than demonstrate all that one would expect for someone deserving of being awarded Advisor of the Month, and it is truly an honor to nominate him.
