Alumni | Business and Industry | First Generation | Lion VoicesMarch 31, 2025

Nigel Otero: Turning Opportunities into Inspiration

Written By: Ian Silvester

As a first-generation, non-traditional student, Nigel Otero came to the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith in 2013 as a member of the Army National Guard, a father of two young children, and not far removed from leaving behind his home in the island country of Trinidad and Tobago. He embraced this opportunity and now uses it to connect with and inspire the students he advises.

Otero graduated from UAFS in 2017 after earning his bachelor’s degree in business marketing from the College of Business and Industry. After briefly working at ArcBest following graduation, fate brought him back to UAFS and the office, which made a lasting impression during his first year on campus.

“My academic advisor [Shauna Turney] my freshman year impacted me a great deal, and we kept in contact,” he said. “Because of her, I always thought, ‘If I want to give back, advising would be something I would be interested in,’ and then a position opened in her office, so I thought, ‘It’s meant to be.’”

Otero became an academic advisor in the ROAR First Year Advising Center, where he helped students from every major - including those seeking a degree in psychology where his wife, Dr. Nicha Otero, serves as the department head and associate professor. Four years later, when the opportunity to return to the College of Business and Industry opened, he applied.

“The professors liked me, and I felt like it would be a good environment to transition to,” he said.

Otero had the qualifications for the job, but he credited the relationships he built as a student with helping him get hired.

“The dean of the college at the time knew and liked my work ethic as a student. … I knew the students and the professors, and it felt comfortable,” Otero recalled.

Now, nearing the end of his second year as the advising coordinator for the College of Business and Industry, Otero helps advise more than 200 students. Even during the two busiest times of the year—late spring and early fall—he said the work isn’t too much.

“I can genuinely share my experiences [as a student] with them,” Otero explained. “I relate to students and can better advise them on what to take, what to expect, and even the professors. … It makes a real difference.”

Outside of his work week, Otero is again a full-time student. This May, he will hear his name called as he walks across the stage at the Stubblefield Center, where he will receive his master’s degree in healthcare administration. While it is a change from business marketing, Otero said the decision to learn more about healthcare administration showed him how the two worlds are more similar than he initially believed.

“Healthcare administration teaches you how to run a business, the finances, the leadership, and how to get the best out of people. With marketing, it’s about how you market the hospital or how to get vaccines to people,” he explained.

For Otero, pursuing an additional degree means showing his kids and students that anyone can accomplish what they set their minds to when given the opportunity.

“I never liked being comfortable, and I don’t like making excuses,” he said. “[A master’s degree] takes a lot from you, and I’ve been doing it full time and working full time. It’s important because no matter what master’s degree you have, it helps you and gives you more opportunities.”

• Tags:
• Alumni
• College of Business and Industry
• First-Generation Student
• Staff Voices
• Non-Traditional Student