Scott Waalkes

College changed my life—and not in a way I could have predicted. When I arrived, I cared more about skiing and windsurfing than academics or global politics. By graduation, I was headed to the University of Virginia for graduate school, aiming for a career I hadn’t even imagined when I started. I became a professor! Since then, advising students and raising three kids who each took very different paths through college has made me fascinated by a simple question: how do people figure out life and career paths? How do students navigate college, make decisions, and build lives that are purposeful—not just impressive on paper? In my Engagements course, I bring that curiosity into the classroom. As an Advising Dean, I love helping students think through big questions about majors, careers, and what comes next. My goal is to help my Engagements students do the same—by helping them get out of their heads, try small experiments, and learn from what works for them.