Her Story
About Brianna
Brianna Wayne serves as an academic advisor at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. She has been in her current role for three years, initially advising STEM students before shifting to business students for the past two years. Wayne also teaches a success course for students, helping them build skills for university life. Prior to this position, she earned a master's degree in teaching and explored other paths including work in a construction business in Washington State after deciding teaching was not the right fit. Her earlier experience in an academic advising office during community college in 2017 and 2018 inspired her return to the field. As chair of the onboarding committee, Wayne standardized processes for new advisors by creating training documentation and templates. She is a member of NACADA, the National Academic Advising Association, also known as the Global Community for Academic Advising. Wayne attributes her success to resilience in pivoting after setbacks and listening to her instincts, and she draws inspiration from supporting first-generation and underrepresented students at VCU.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Brianna
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would say it's my ability, through every single no that I've received, to figure out what the yes is behind it, and to be able to pivot and roll with all the craziness that life's given me, and to never stop pushing, and never stop listening to my gut and what I need.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
From my mentor, and she said that, your path is your path. If you're doing it right, people are going to disagree with you. And to just you'll never know what opportunity that you say yes to that's gonna help you later on.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.