Advice from a Sun Devil: David Ortiz-Leon shares his experience as a success coach
In his work as a success coach, David Ortiz-Leon often helps his fellow Sun Devils get on track to achieve their goals at Arizona State University.
One piece of advice he could offer students where he works in the ASU Student Success Center is not to worry if the path to success isn’t always straight.
David, a highly successful student who’s about to graduate with a degree in Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences this fall, knows this from personal experience. Students, himself included, often take vastly different paths to achieve success.
And that’s just fine, the first-generation student says.
“To all my non-traditional students I want to say, ‘y’all are doing a great job!’ I am now seven years into higher education, closing in on my bachelor’s. It took a lot of time, but I did it how it works for me, the same way you all make education work for you,” David said.
“There is no ‘one-size-fits-all model,’ the road is not linear, and it takes time. But once we get there it is so rewarding.”
Born and raised in Phoenix, David’s educational journey began at community college. Starting out at Phoenix College, he thrived there for several years before transferring to ASU in 2021. He has participated in a wide variety of extracurricular and service activities, including the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.
“I used to be in my community college’s robotics team, and since coming to ASU have dived deep into student support services. I would say out of all the work I have done in extracurriculars I am most proud of my time with my community college’s honor society, for which I did a lot of volunteer work with during the pandemic,” David said.
Some of the groups he has volunteered with include Las Hermanas, a program designed to give young girls of color an opportunity in the STEM fields through workshops and seminars, and the Phoenix Civic Action Group, a nonpartisan organization that seeks to educate voters on the electoral process in Arizona.
Now heading into his final semester toward his degree at ASU, David remains involved outside the classroom, especially through his student employment. Working for the Student Success Center, he advises transfer and first-generation students like himself to help navigate the transition at ASU. And this past summer, he worked on a pilot program that assists students from the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and students known as DREAMers.
“In both positions, I work with students by determining their needs and helping them get connected with campus resources. Additionally, I also provide advice to students in their senior year, giving insight into how to balance school, work and life.”
Having worked in a similar role at Phoenix College, David decided to apply for the peer coaching role in the Student Success Center, which he said offers a robust program for students at ASU.
During his interactions with students, he said he’s always surprised how much of the higher education experience is universal.
“I’m not necessarily old (I’m 24), but it does give me a laugh when I hear a student discuss situations I’ve been in three to four years ago. A lot of the conversations I’ve had are something like, “‘Hey, we’ve all been there, but let me tell you what I wish someone told me,’ as I connect them with an important resource.”
Having been there, what advice does David offer to new students, who face a barrage of new experiences and information as they begin college?
“If you get an email from your success coach, save their email! If we don’t have an immediate answer for you we can connect you with folks who do,” he said. “It is also important to remember that it is your first semester. Part of the real college experience is learning for yourself how you like to learn, and that might mean not being satisfied right away, that’s natural, that’s part of it.”
The Sun Devil senior said the Success Center also recommends students make use of their full academic advising team. “Sometimes, students might be trying to contact a single advisor, but those advisors have different working hours, vacations, etc., so we recommend utilizing your full support team.”
For family members, David advises them to let their students know that going to college isn’t like getting kicked out of the bird’s nest. Despite being away from home, they’re not alone.
“There are centers like Student Advocacy, Academic Advising, the Student Success Center, and Counseling Services that are in place expressly to help students,” David said. “Students should be able to assist themselves independently, but they should also know that an independent rhythm takes time, and that there are teams there to help them find it.”
