Going from community college student to college adviser brings Kaitlyn Herber full circle.
After graduating from Virginia Peninsula Community College in 2023, Herber earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Christopher Newport University.
Today, she’s a pathways adviser at Hampton High School through the University of Virginia’s AdviseVA program. She explained it’s an AmeriCorps partnership that helps students prepare for college, careers, the military and other postsecondary opportunities.
“It’s basically giving back to the community,” said Herber about her role. “It circles back to VPCC because my TRiO adviser really inspired me. She was always on top of it, making sure I was succeeding in an environment I was so unfamiliar with.”
Herber enrolled at the College in 2022 after leaving the Navy. She was looking for a new direction.
“I was really lost on anything (college-related) because I’m a first-generation college student,” Herber said. “I had no idea where to start.”
She admits choosing VPCC changed her life. An art history course sparked her interest in anthropology. She earned an associate degree in social science. With that plus a bachelor’s in hand, she briefly pursued a master’s degree but withdrew because of financial strain. She plans to resume those studies soon with a doctoral degree as her ultimate academic goal.
“I want to eventually get my Ph.D. (in experimental archaeology and researching the origins of textiles),” she said, noting she wants to explore how textiles may have helped early humans care for infants and maintain community connections.
“I’ve been looking at a bunch of different places, and I’ve even talked to my mentors from Christopher Newport University. They always have wonderful advice. It’s just those connections that you build. You start building them in community college.”
Her interest in textiles extends beyond the classroom. Herber knits, participates in a local knitting circle, and has incorporated textile research into papers and projects at VPCC and CNU. She has also worked with local archaeology professionals.
For now, she’s content building experience through her work with students. Herber uses her college experiences to help Hampton High School students navigate theirs. She works one-on-one with students as part of the program’s aim to connect with roughly 75% of the senior class. She also organizes events that bring college representatives and other resources directly to students and families.
Coordinating these events, she frequently reconnects with VPCC, inviting its representatives to speak with high school seniors about educational opportunities. The relationship differs from her days as a VPCC student, and she thoroughly enjoys the new role.
Herber’s work also focuses on helping students explore ways to pay for college. She encourages students to begin searching for scholarships early and maintains a scholarship resource through Google Classroom.
“For seniors going to college today, I say, ‘Don’t pay for it, or pay as little as you can,’ especially the high-achieving students,” she said of the advice she gives most often.
“There are so many scholarships available.”
She also keeps parents informed by providing updates through Parent Square, a communication and family engagement platform designed for K-12 schools.
For her commitment to student success, Herber earned adviser of the week recognition in late August. The acknowledgment came after she coordinated a college-preparation event featuring information about financial aid, the FAFSA, and college applications.
She almost missed this calling when career exploration took her in another direction. Before VPCC, she attended a trade school with plans to pursue nursing. She discovered it wasn’t the field for her.
“COVID hit, and I thought, ‘Oh no, this is not what I want to do. This is not what I want to be when I grow up,’” she recalled joking. “So, I chose something else, and college helped move that process along.”
Time at VPCC gave Herber the confidence to take another path.
“The College not only helped me discover who I wanted to be, but gave me that final pathway,” she said.
Her military background was another defining chapter. Herber served in the Navy from 2013 to 2018. She reached the rank of quartermaster second class petty officer before a service-related accident ended her military career.
In her free time, in addition to knitting, Herber stays active through running and dancing. Her “thing” is 5K runs. An ardent run club participant, she’s organizing a 5K through AdviseVA. Through her dance club membership, Latin dance is her favorite genre, and she’s learning West Coast Swing.
She even weaves her interests into the message she shares with students. Great accomplishments, she tells students, come through small, consistent steps.
“You’re not going to see the whole garment while you’re in the process,” she said, comparing education and life to knitting. “But once it’s done, you can step back and look and see that you have a blanket.”
All in all, Herber is proud of her accomplishments, from military service and a career change to community college and a bachelor’s degree despite personal setbacks. She said the communities she found in college created a lasting support network that keeps her moving forward.
“College gave me the friends and the community that I needed to be ready for the twists and turns that life brings,” she concluded.
