Cora Andrews

Coordinator, Admissions & Student Success
Student Recruiting & Admissions, CVM
Time in Position: 1 year, 3 months
Service to MSU: 3 years

Cora Andrews remembers what it was like to be a student at Mississippi State University and having people invest in her and help her grow personally and professionally. As the Coordinator for Admissions and Student Success in MSU's College of Veterinary Medicine, she gets to be that person for students pursuing their dreams of becoming veterinarians.

"During my time as a graduate assistant, I began to understand the impact those relationships can have and discovered how rewarding it is to support students as they navigate challenges and pursue their goals," said Andrews. "That experience shaped the way I view my work today."

Andrews works with students from the time they arrive on campus through their veterinary school journey. She coordinates orientation, mentoring and student engagement programs, advises student organizations and helps connect students with resources and opportunities. She also oversees some of the college's most recognizable student programs, including the annual Open House, Bully's Bowl and the Professional Clothing Closet.

One of the things she enjoys most about the job is the variety. No two days are alike, and she likes the challenge of finding solutions, developing new ideas and seeing projects come together.

Her favorite memory so far is welcoming the incoming class during orientation. After months of planning, she had already learned students' names, seen their faces and read bits and pieces of their stories. Finally meeting them in person was a different experience.

“Getting to finally meet them in person and learn who they really were was incredibly rewarding,” Andrews said.

She especially enjoyed watching students begin making connections with one another and seeing the excitement they brought to the start of veterinary school.

Her passion for agriculture remains part of her life outside the university. Andrews enjoys spending time at her family's farm, cheering on the Bulldogs and playing with her two dogs, Hank and Ollie.