Peer Academic Coaching Program
Peer Academic Coaches help students become more independent and self-assured learners. Peer Academic Coaches will help students achieve their definition of academic success by providing structure, study skills development, and short-term accountability through ongoing conversations focused on time management, goal setting, note taking, textbook reading, accountability, email management, organization, semester planning, study strategies, and resource utilization. Peer Academic Coaches can meet with students once a week, every other week, or once a month. The duration of each appointment is 30 minutes.
Peer Academic Coaches offer assistance through
- individual meetings,
- walk-in advising,
- topic-based workshops,
- and other services.
To view instructions for scheduling a meeting with a Peer Academic Coach, click here!
"More than an informative role, academic advising is based around the relationship between the advisor and their advisees. Advisors often incorporate coaching methods into their practice in order to address the whole student. Academic Coaching is an advising approach that pushes the student to reflect and act on the range of goals, interests, and passions available in higher education."
-National Academic Advising Association(NACADA)
Meet our peer academic coaches!

Alex Boggs
- Class of 2023
- Major/Minor(if applicable): Accounting
- Favorite Course Taken at UTC: ENGL 3150: American Literature since World War II
- Hobbies/Interests: Reading, listening to true crime podcasts, and playing with my two dogs, Shep and Shelley
- Campus Involvement: I serve as a Math 1010 tutor, on the Honor Court and Student Conduct Board, and am a member of the Honors College

Destiney Tacket

Karess Watkins
- Class of 2023
- Major/Minor: HR Management
- Favorite Course Taken at UTC: Rhetoric and Comp
- Hobbies/Interests: Hanging out with friends, reading

Samantha Brooks
- Class of 2022
- Major/Minor: Psychology w/ a Concentration in Social Sciences
- Favorite Course Taken at UTC: I really enjoyed Intro to Psychology my freshman year. I knew that I had picked the right major when I took that class.
- Hobbies/Interests: True Crime, dancing occasionally, and reading

Taylor Lemmons
- Class of 2022
- Major/Minor: BS Sociology, Minor in Philosophy
- Favorite Course Taken at UTC: SOC 330 - Social Psychology
- Hobbies/Interests: Plants, thrifting, hiking

Cathy Mines
- Class of 2022
- Major/Minor: BS Psychology, Minor in Biology
- Favorite Course Taken at UTC: Legendary Rome: Epic Founders, Wicked Emperors, Saintly Martyrs
- Hobbies/Interests: Crochet, walking

Quinn Vinson
- Class of 2023
- Major/Minor: BSW Social Work and BA Women and Gender Studies, Minor in Public Administration and Nonprofit Management
- Favorite Course Taken at UTC: Public Service Law and Ethics
- Hobbies/Interests: Social justice, volunteering, soap making, travel abroad, international issues
- Campus Involvement: Social Work internship, First-Generation Student Program, Global Citizenship Cohort

Kloe Fortner
- Class of 2023
- Major/Minor: BS Psychology, Minor in Africana Studies
- Favorite Course Taken at UTC: Social Psychology with David Ross
- Hobbies/Interests: Astrology, natural medicine, numerology, hiking, being a plant and fur mom
- Campus Involvement: First-Generation Student and Mentor

Jake Rowe
- Class of 2023
- Major/Minor: Sociology
- Favorite Course Taken at UTC: SOC 3050 Race and Ethnicity
- Hobbies/Interests: Basketball, music, golf

Al Shappley
- Class of 2024
- Major/Minor: BS in Psychology, Minor in Child and Family Studies
- Favorite Course Taken at UTC: Women Behaving Badly in Film Honors Seminar
- Hobbies/Interests: Embroidery, running, cooking
- Campus Involvement: Brock Honors Student

Day'Jah Williams
- Class of 2023
- Major/Minor: Communications with Minor in Marketing
- Favorite Course Taken at UTC: Media Writing I
- Hobbies/Interests: Basketball, jogging, plants, painting/drawing, poetry, community service
- Campus Involvement: Member of Zeta Kappa Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Campus Ambassador, Black Student Alliance, Intervarsity, S.H.I.N.E.

P Pene
- Class of 2022
- Major/Minor: BS in Psychology with a concentration in Education
- Favorite Course Taken at UTC: Team Sports and Games
- Hobbies/Interests: Love to do adventurous things like skydiving, white water rafting, cliff jumping, etc.
- Campus Involvement: Member of the UTC Women's Basketball team

Jennifer Juan
- Class of 2023
- Major/Minor: Communications with a Minor in Promotions
- Favorite Course Taken at UTC: Video Production and Statistics
- Hobbies/Interests: Video editing, films, volunteering
- Campus Involvement: International Buddy Program

Claire Brent
- Class of 2023
- Major/Minor: BS in Psychology with a concentration in Health Care
- Favorite Course Taken at UTC: Abnormal Psychology
- Hobbies/Interests: Hiking, reading, painting
- Campus Involvement: Psi Chi

Gabby Logsdon
- Class of 2023
- Major/Minor: Environmental Science
- Hobbies/Interests: hiking, kayaking, reading

Bruce Robinson Jr.
- Class of 2022
- Major/Minor: BS in Psychology
- Favorite Course Taken at UTC: Intro to Psychology
- Hobbies/Interests: Watching movies, sports, weightlifting, nature walks, biking, art, music
- Campus Involvement: Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, B2B, BSA, Psi Chi, Honor Society

Carman Armstrong
- Class of 2022
- Major/Minor: BS in Psychology with a minor in Education
- Favorite Course Taken at UTC: Family Resource Management
- Hobbies/Interests: Traveling, hiking, paddle boarding, and baking cookies
- Campus Involvement: West Campus Resident Assistant, Intervarsity's S.H.I.N.E. Mentor, Student Support Services Member