When Eileen Kim first arrived at Michigan State University, she wasn’t sure of how to introduce herself. “In every gen ed class, everyone would say their major,” she said. “And then I would just feel like I’m undecided.”
An international student from Korea who attended high school in Michigan, Kim said the size and diversity of the university felt overwhelming at first. Without a declared major, she questioned herself more than anything else. “I thought, ‘Without a major, what am I even doing here?’”
Kim is one of three students recognized at the 2025 University Advising Dean’s Choice Awards: Exploratory Preference Scholarship Showcase. The UA Dean’s Choice Awards, supported by MSUFCU, celebrates students who have embraced exploration as part of their academic journey.
The 2025 award recipients include Misa Jeffries, second-year student, Exploring Business Preference Business major, who was selected as the overall Dean’s Choice Award winner, along with Eileen Kim, first-year student, Exploratory Engineering major, and Olivia Booker, first-year student, Exploratory Engineering major.
Each student entered MSU with questions about their direction. Through exploration, they found not only clarity, but confidence.
Finding confidence through exploration
For Kim, the turning point came when she began speaking her uncertainty out loud. “When you say your thoughts out loud, it helps you organize them,” she said.
Working with her advisor, Kim learned how to navigate course descriptions and major requirements. She began researching programs on her own, paying close attention to what she liked and what she did not.
“I realized chemistry wasn’t really for me,” she said. “When I looked at the chemical engineering course catalog and saw chemistry, chemistry, chemistry, I realized maybe I don’t want to do that.”
Instead, after accidentally enrolling in an introductory material science and engineering course during her first semester, Kim discovered a field that felt right. She recently applied to the College of Engineering and chose material science and engineering as her major. Even so, she values the flexibility she found through exploration.
“I chose it because I liked it,” she said. “If it turns out not to be the right fit over the next few years, I feel comfortable exploring other options.”
At the scholarship showcase, Kim said she initially felt nervous presenting her experience. But after listening to other students and participating in a question-and-answer session, something shifted. “I feel more included in this university,” she said. “That’s the biggest part. The feeling of belonging.”
A showcase of discovery
Home to the Exploratory Preference and Exploring Business Preference majors, University Advising is also a resource for any student who seeks additional exploration opportunities throughout all MSU’s undergraduate colleges. UA’s work empowers first- and second-year students to align interests, skills and passions to a major that is right for them.
The University Advising Scholarship Showcase was an opportunity for exploring students across campus to share how they used exploring as a strategy, not a setback. Open to any exploring MSU undergraduate (exploratory preference in any college), student showcase submissions were asked to show the value, role, purpose and lived experience of being an exploratory student. This included pros, cons, opportunities, barriers and ways advising and campus services shaped their experiences.
Submissions required both a written response in the form of a personal essay, short research brief or a piece of creative writing as well as a visual component like an infographic, short video or slide deck. At the showcase, students presented these materials with scholarships awarded to the top three students.
“Watching students share their work at the showcase was a reminder of how powerful the exploring process can be. When students feel supported as they explore, they make decisions with clarity and confidence,” said Stratton Lee, director of University Advising.
“University Advising is here to create room for students to discover what truly fits, academically and beyond. Exploring isn’t a sign of uncertainty; it’s a natural part of learning who you are and what you care about.”
This year’s showcase is one way University Advising partners with students as they navigate possibilities and define their goals and the value of meeting students where they are every step of their journey.
Finding the right path
Like Kim, Olivia Booker also began her journey in exploratory engineering. She admits she was not fully sure what that meant when she first arrived.
“I wasn’t fully sure what exploratory meant or what the requirements were,” Booker said. “It was more just figuring out what classes to take and going from there.”
Through her advisor and by reviewing university requirements in the Student Information System, Booker gradually narrowed her focus. She credits exploration with helping her slow down and make thoughtful decisions.
“With exploratory, nothing is a rush,” she said. “You have time to fully think about it.” That space to reflect helped her decide on a direction by the beginning of her sophomore year. Along the way, she also gained confidence in the process itself.
“It’s totally okay to be an exploratory major,” Booker said. “It’s not any kind of setback. It’s more of a tool to help you.”
Applying for the scholarship showcase felt intimidating at first, she said, but she decided to try anyway. Receiving the award was meaningful not only as recognition, but as financial support that will help her continue her studies. “That money going toward my tuition and academics has really helped me,” she said.
Resilience brings recognition
For Misa Jeffries, the path to becoming a business student included its own set of questions. When she first learned there were additional steps required before officially declaring a business major, she felt confused.
“I was like, ‘What else do I have to do?’” Jeffries said. “How far do I need to go to become a full-fledged business student?”
Jeffries, who was selected as this year’s overall UA Dean’s Choice Award winner, said the exploratory process required patience. Scheduling advising appointments sometimes meant waiting, but she learned something important about herself along the way.
“I learned that I have a lot of resilience,” she said. “I’m very determined to get something that I want and to be the best version of myself.”
Inspired by the idea that you miss 100 percent of the shots you do not take, Jeffries applied for the scholarship showcase without expecting to win. She was surprised to be selected and even more surprised to be named the top award recipient.
Receiving the award, she said, reminded her that she is capable of more than she sometimes believes. “It just makes me feel very happy with myself,” she said. “I can always strive to try and be better.”
Jeffries also emphasized that exploration is about more than a title. “You don’t have to define yourself under one label,” she said. “You are hundreds of things mixed all together in your own person. You don’t have to be limited by a title given.”
A foundation for the future
Across their stories, a common theme emerges: exploration was not a setback, it was a foundation.
Kim encourages students who feel uneasy about being undecided to talk about it rather than hide it. “The more you feel uneasy with it, the more you should talk about it,” she said. “When you let that feeling out, you have space for other possibilities.”
Booker echoes that message, urging students to investigate all available options and understand that exploratory pathways exist for many fields, including engineering.
Jeffries offers simple advice. “Just breathe,” she said. “Think about what makes you happiest and what you thrive in.”
For these three students, exploration has not only clarified their academic paths, it has prepared them for something larger. As Kim reflected on her experience, she connected it to life beyond college. “When we graduate, we will be thrown into new environments again,” she said. “Exploration in college makes me feel ready. I feel more prepared to adapt when I encounter new environments.”
Through their willingness to ask questions, seek guidance and try, even when uncertain, Kim, Booker and Jeffries have shown that exploration is not about being behind, it is about moving forward with intention and confidence.
To learn more about University Advising and exploration with intention visit advising.msu.edu.