´óÏó´«Ã½

Heinz Alfredo Fernandez is the Assistant Director of Transfer Recruitment & Admissions for ´óÏó´«Ã½â€™s Broward campuses. He began his academic journey at Santa Fe College before transferring to Florida State University for his undergraduate degree. In Fall 2017, he joined ´óÏó´«Ã½ as a graduate student in educational leadership with a concentration in higher education.

During graduate school, Fernandez actively engaged in campus activities and opportunities, serving as a graduate assistant for the Urban Male Initiative and The Mentoring Project, while also interning with many different offices and honing his engagement skills and public speaking. He graduated in the Fall of 2018 and transitioned to a professional role in Spring 2019, starting with Housing and Residential Education, where he worked with in a wide range of buildings and peers. He later moved to academic advising within University Advising Services before stepping into his current role in January 2024.

Fernandez believes that these on-campus opportunities led him to where he is now. His engagement with the Office of Appreciative Education, which helped him become a Certified Appreciative Advisor gave him valuable skills in building trusted relationships with students, co-creating plans to help them achieve their goals and fostering academic dreams. These core concepts of what he did as an appreciative advisor are skills he uses now as an admission counselor for prospective transfer students navigating their transition to ´óÏó´«Ã½.

In his current role, Fernandez creates plans based off of students’ courses, applications, and transcript submissions to help them see the holistic view of what it means to be a transfer student. These plans usually involve working with Transfer Academic Advising and evaluating a students current academic process by reviewing the credits they have already earned and determining how many are still needed to complete their degree. Depending on the different journeys and where students want to go based on future directions, he will work with Transfer Academic Advisors to co-create a plan suitable for their needs. While he is not in a formal advising position, he incorporates some of his advising techniques when helping students with what they want to do with their career journey while attending ´óÏó´«Ã½. His passion for this field stems from his own experience as a transfer student and drives his dedication to supporting others on their academic journey in a new environment.

"The earlier you do things, the more likely you are to have a smoother transition," Fernandez said, noting that early engagement with the admissions office allows time to address individual needs. "The ones who wait too close to the deadline will experience the most heartbreaks," he added, leaving students to try again for the next semester.

The Transfer Recruitment & Admissions Office collaborates with a wide range of other ´óÏó´«Ã½ offices, particularly with Transfer Student Services, to support prospective transfer students in need of advising help. Fernandez often refers students to the Transfer Student Services office for assistance with major requirements and course selection. His office also partners with individual colleges, such as the , College of Nursing, College of Arts & Letters, to guide students toward their desired programs and connect them with academic advisors for additional help. They also work closely with the Orientation Office to ensure that students are aware of the different resources available to them before classes begin.

Through his efforts, Fernandez exemplifies the importance of early planning, collaboration, and personalized support in fostering transfer student success, making him a pivotal advocate for academic achievement at ´óÏó´«Ã½.

Ìý

Written by Natalia Aguirre