An all-star advisor’s impact: Helping students find their path and purpose
Thomas Garvey, an academic advisor in the College of Journalism and Communications, or CJC, has worked for the University of Florida for four years. In addition to his advising duties, Garvey recently served as the primary presenter for the CJC’s First-Year Student Preview, where he introduced incoming students to available programs and opportunities.
This spring, Garvey won a University-Level Superior Accomplishment Award for Individual Employee Performance in the Student, Academic and Alumni Services category, and was also the recipient of the 2025 CJC Professional Advisor of the Year Award.
Nominations for the current award cycle are due Oct. 24. Read on to learn more about Garvey and his work at the University of Florida, and visit the UFHR website to submit a nomination today!
Describe your educational and professional background.
I am a Double Gator. I earned my Bachelor of Science in telecommunication in 2009 and my master’s degree in education, specializing in student personnel in higher education, in 2022. After graduating in 2009, I worked in sports for one year and then transitioned to working in education. I was a teacher’s aide for the Exceptional Student Education Department at my local high school for three years. During that time, I earned my teaching certification, and I began teaching in 2014. In 2018, my family and I relocated to Gainesville, and I was hired in the Admissions Office at Santa Fe College as a pre-college advisor. I was hired by UF for my current role in the fall of 2021.
What are your current job responsibilities?
I am the primary advisor for the Media Production, Management and Technology program (formerly Telecommunication) in the CJC. I also serve as the primary presenter for the college’s First-Year Preview college presentations, am co-advisor of the Journalism and Communications Ambassadors and teach MMC1009 as an adjunct.
What do you like most about your job?
I love being able to help students find their pathways. There are so many different routes to the careers of their dreams, and I love helping them plan how they will reach their goals.
How did you feel when you found out you won a Superior Accomplishment Award (SAA)?
I was truly honored. I know there are so many amazing people that work at this university, and to be recognized was very special. My nominator has been at UF for a long time and their nomination alone was an amazing feeling. I really enjoy my role with the college and love that I can give back to a place that gave me so much.
Who inspires you the most? Do you have any role models or mentors?
I am mostly inspired by my parents. Some of my earliest memories were waiting outside of daycare for it to open, well before sunrise, so my dad could drop me off and get to work. He worked a grueling, 12- to 14-hour-per-day construction job to provide for our family. When I was five years old, he quit and went to college. My mom took on a promotion and worked extra hours, becoming the primary earner while they paid for my dad’s tuition using credit cards. They worked to provide a better life for my older brother and me. My dad showed me firsthand the value of a college education, and I feel that led me to the position I am in today.
What are your professional goals moving forward?
I just hope to continue providing a great advising experience to students. I love being in a student facing position and getting to interact with them on a day-to-day basis.
Do you have any hobbies, special interests or personal goals you are willing to share?
I love watching Sports, especially soccer, NCAA/NFL football, Australian Rules Football and NHL hockey. I also love to cook.
What advice would you give to others striving to make a meaningful impact at UF?
My advice would be to be authentic and make connections. It’s easy for our roles to feel transactional—and in some ways, they are—but I feel that the more comfortable students are, the more success they can have. The more I know about their goals, the better I can direct them to courses, opportunities or experiences.
Nominations for the current award cycle are due Oct. 24. Visit the UFHR website to submit a nomination today!