Gateway Academic Center

Class of 2017!

The beginning of your college career presents you with some of the greatest challenges of your life.  Since how you begin will affect how you progress towards your degree, your first experiences are very important.

The Gateway Academic Center serves students who have not yet decided on a major.  It provides a variety of academic support services to help you to make the transition from high school to college, such as advising, mentoring, tutoring, preparatory workshops, and special events. Gateway advisers will also connect you to a network of campus resources to draw on as you proceed through the curriculum. 

Meet your GAC Adviser:

 Amy Berrios, M.S.

My name is Annemarie Berrios.  I am an academic adviser at the Gateway Academic Center (GAC).  I hold a Bachelor's of Science in Psychology from Mercy College and a Master's of Science in Counseling .

As a child, I always wanted to be a teacher.  I never gave any other profession a thought.  It is what I was going to be and there was no deviating from that path.  However, I never realized how difficult teaching could be until after I tried it.  I learned early on in my educational path that teaching was not for me.

Now what???  I didn't know what to do.  All I had thought about was teaching.  I felt lost.  I had no clue as to what I would do once I graduated with my Bachelor's degree.  

While working towards my Bachelor's in Psychology, I was also a student worker in the Student Support Services Program (SSSP) at the college.  I worked as a receptionist. I learned a lot on the job but I still could not help feeling lost.  I knew I could do so much more once I earned my degree. In my senior year, I was offered a job at the Financial Aid Office as a counselor.  I enjoyed working one-on-one with the students.  Assisting students and their families finance their education was definitely a fulfilling job.  I realized that I really enjoyed working in higher education. I was on the right path.

I continued my studies and eventually attained my Master's of Science in Counseling.  And although I enjoyed working in Financial Aid, I wanted to experience the academic side of higher education.  Shortly after, I was offered a position as an academic adviser.  This was my opportunity to experience something different.   Being part of guiding students to completion of their degree was very rewarding.  I knew then that I had found my "dream job."

Although I had one career choice in mind most of my young life, experiences and opportunities along the way led me to be where I am today.  I did not become a psychologist or a family counselor as many assumed I would because of the degrees I held.  

Twenty years later, I still enjoy coming to work every day and helping students successfully navigate their degree requirements.  

So you see, your major doesn't always dictate what you will do for the rest of your life.  It can opens up doors to many different paths.  Then it is up to you which path to take.

Will a Robot take you Job?

It has been predicted that sometime in the 2030s robots will outnumber us.  What does that mean for your future?

Is it a responsibility of Higher Education to develop an engaged citizenry?

Should the state subsidize the study of Liberal Arts?  Read what your GAC director has to say

Why do so many Science majors change their minds?  It's so Darn Hard!