Amber Pakkala, Disabled Woman
Learning Strategist
As a Learning Strategist, I support students affiliated with our office in building the skills and confidence needed for academic success. I help them organize their academic schedules, connect with campus resources, and develop individualized strategies for time management, executive thinking, and goal-setting. Through collaborative meetings and weekly check-ins, we identify what works, adjust as needed, and create a sustainable path forward.
After graduating from Lake Travis High School in 2008, I attended Temple Junior College before transferring to Wells College, where I earned my B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Brain Science and Cognition in 2016. My experiences at Wells clarified that I belonged in the disability field—and that the field needed me, too. After working as a Special Education TA in 2017 and then pursuing my M.S. in Disability Services in Higher Education through CUNY SPS, I began my work as an academic coach at TC3 and immediately knew I had found the right path. When the Learning Strategist position opened at Cortland, it felt like a natural next step, and over the past three years I’ve dedicated myself to mastering executive function strategies to better support the students I serve.
In my first year at SUNY Cortland, I received the Transfer Advocate Award for my contributions to supporting and integrating transfer students into the Cortland community. A long-standing career goal of mine was to present at the AHEAD Conference—and in July 2025, I achieved that milestone. Sharing my work with others, whether on campus or on a national conference, fuels the passion and tenacity I bring to supporting students every day.
I love New York—from the top of Mount Marcy at 5,344 feet to the underground subway platforms of NYC—and I’m grateful to live so close to Seneca Falls, the birthplace of women’s rights. I’m an Adirondack 46er, having summited all the High Peaks over 4,000 feet, one of my greatest accomplishments. Outside of work, music is my lifelong companion: I’ve played guitar for 22 years and have sung since I was little, and there’s a good chance you’ll catch me at an open mic, playing and singing my heart out like I don’t have a day job.