Walking the Talk: The Advisor Who Became a Student to Better Serve Her Own

This article was originally published in the 2025 issue of Ivy Indy. 

By day, Juanita Granger is an Ivy Tech advisor, guiding students through the maze of academic decisions and program requirements in the School of Information Technology (SoIT). But by night—and often on her lunch breaks and weekends—she’s a learner herself, tackling coding projects and assignments right alongside her students.

“I wanted to understand what my students go through,” she says, reflecting on her decision to step into their world. “You gotta walk it like you talk it,” she adds with a grin, a motto she’s taken to heart.

Granger’s office is a place where screens glow, questions abound, and a quiet hum of determination fills the air. She spends her days helping students troubleshoot enrollment, navigate courses, and picture futures shaped by technology—a world she admits was entirely new to her. 

“When I started as an IT advisor, I didn’t know the first thing about IT,” she recalls with a laugh. But she didn’t shy away from the unknown; she dove into it, enrolling in IT courses to understand the field from her students’ perspective.

From Collections to Counseling:

Believe it or not, Granger's foray into the world of IT was not an impulsive decision. 

Before her time at Ivy Tech, Granger had worked at a financial services company that dealt with federal and private student loans, where she endured the draining task of collections. Her empathy and desire to help people were evident even then, but the job wore on her. 

When her aunt suggested academic advising, she thought, why not? The transition to Ivy Tech Indianapolis, where she could mentor and support students, felt like a natural next step. But the IT part—that was new territory.

Diving Into IT—With No Experience

"When I became an IT advisor, students would ask me about their classes, and I honestly had no idea. I hadn’t typed a line of code in my life," she says, with the humility of someone who refuses to pretend.

So when Granger realized she could take classes for free as an employee, she didn’t hesitate. "I thought coding would be cool—who wouldn’t want to code behind the scenes?" 

She enrolled in software and web development courses, pushing herself to understand the complexities her students faced.

Learning Alongside Her Students

As Granger dove into her classes, she found herself sitting alongside the very students she advised.

“When you’re in class with your students, you really get to see what they’re going through,” she says, describing the unique perspective it offered her. “It’s kind of funny, actually—sometimes they’d email me with reasons they couldn’t complete an assignment, and I’d think, we were in the same class together. Let’s talk about that.”

Being both an advisor and a classmate gave her insights few advisors have. She experienced firsthand the accelerated eight-week terms that Ivy Tech offers, where “they’re really putting traditional 16 weeks into eight – it’s super accelerated,” as Granger puts it, with a laugh. 

This direct experience allowed her to connect with her students on a new level, empathizing with their workload and understanding their struggles beyond the advisor’s office.

A Balancing Act: Full-Time Advisor, Full-Time Student

Balancing her full-time advising job with her own coursework was no easy feat. 

"I worked 40 hours a week and took two classes at once. It was a lot," she admits. Yet, true to her high standards, Granger excelled, maintaining a straight-A record and making the Dean’s List. 

"I’m not a perfectionist," she says, but there’s a quiet determination in her voice that betrays her desire to give her best. "Every time I tell my students they need to stay above a 2.0, I can’t say that if I’m not holding myself to the same standard."

Between meetings, advising sessions, and a steady stream of student emails, she carved out moments to study, often squeezing in assignments at lunch or powering through projects on weekends. 

"I get all my emails done fast," she explains. "I don’t send novels to students; I answer the question, give them what they need, and keep it moving." This efficiency became her secret weapon, allowing her to dedicate time to both her job and her studies without sacrificing her high standards.

Her advice to students juggling similar responsibilities is straightforward and wise: carve out the time you need. “If you don’t make time for your studies, it won’t happen,” she says from experience, encouraging them to build habits now that will sustain them for years to come. 

Her path has been shaped by such determination and a commitment to growth. She earned her undergraduate degree in organizational leadership with a minor in business from Purdue University Fort Wayne, followed by a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in human resources from Indiana Tech. 

Yet when it comes to pursuing a field like IT in general, Granger offers a word of caution: “I tell all my students, ‘do what you love to do.’ Don’t do what your parents are telling you to do, and don’t do what you think will make the most money. Because many students don’t understand ... these programs can be pretty hard.” 

For her, this journey is about more than just skill-building; it’s about respect for the field and genuine interest, something she hopes her students will carry with them long after they graduate.

As Granger approached the finish line of her IT courses in the fall, she was poised to receive not one, but two certificates—in software and web development. "Two for the price of one!" she exclaimed with a laugh. 

Powered by a Supportive Team

Granger credits much of her success to her supportive team at Ivy Tech Indy. 

"Our IT advising team is like family," she says, her affection for her colleagues evident. "We vouch for one another, we’re quirky, and we’re in this together." 

For Granger, her team’s support has been as essential as any study habit or time management trick. From day one, they rallied around her, celebrating her successes and encouraging her through the challenges. When she made the Dean’s List, for example, it was a teammate who proudly shared the news with the team group chat, prompting a cascade of congratulations that left Granger feeling both humbled and deeply appreciated.

“Without them, I don’t think I would have made it,” she reflects. Together, they’ve built a workplace culture that feels less like an office and more like a second home, where “we’re not just colleagues—we’re friends who always have each other’s back.”

Looking Forward: Practical Skills and Big Plans

Beyond the camaraderie, Granger has found a deep sense of purpose in seeing her students succeed. 

"I like seeing my students at commencement," she says with a smile. "That’s honestly the biggest reward for me. To see them cross that stage, knowing they’ve done it—that’s everything to me."

Through it all, Granger has remained grounded by her love for her students. 

"They are my biggest motivation," she says. Her journey from IT novice to Dean’s List student is a testament to her belief that the best advisors are those who never stop learning alongside their students.

And in true Juanita Granger fashion, she’s far from finished: "You gotta walk it like you talk it!" And she will continue to walk that path, inspiring her students one step at a time.

Her future goals remain flexible, but two things are certain: she still sees herself in advising at Ivy Tech, and she’s not done learning. 

"I might try cybersecurity next," she muses. “Or, I’ve been thinking about HVAC!” Practicality, after all, is a key motivator. "I’m buying a house next year. If something breaks, I want to be able to fix it myself!"

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