Peer Academic Coaching
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Coaching Appointments
Meet with a coach in-person. If you have scheduled an in-person coaching appointment, please review our In-Person Appointment Information prior to your appointment.
Need assistance scheduling an appointment? Contact Coach Admin.
In-Person Walk-in Coaching
Walk-in in-person with a coach, no appointment necessary. View the schedule to find a coach. Sessions are approximately 20 minutes, but can go longer if demand for coaches is low. If you plan to attend Walk-in Coaching, please review our In-Person Appointment Information prior to your attending.
About Peer Academic Coaching
SSC Peer Coaches help students develop their skills and strategies for learning efficiently and effectively. While a tutor works with you on course content, an academic coach works with you on strategies for learning the content.
Coaching Quick Facts
The Peer Academic Coaching program is an academic support program designed to provide individualized student support. Peer Academic Coaching is a partnership between a student and a peer coach, developed through a series of short, one-on-one conversations to help the student evaluate and elevate their academic performance. Coaching is not advising, counseling, or tutoring.
Log into Our Scheduler, our appointment scheduling system, to view available appointment times and select one that works for you.
Our team of Peer Academic Coaches is comprised of currently enrolled, successful undergraduate UofA students. Our coaches represent a variety of academic majors, college experiences, and personal backgrounds. What they share is their passion for working with students to help them be successful at the University of Arkansas. You can learn more about our team in our coach profiles below.
You and your coach will talk about lots of things! Your coach will work with you to identify stressors and establish goals that lead to academic success. You can expect your coach to ask you powerful questions that are curious, non-judgmental, and are designed to promote reflection, create possibilities, and encourage new insights. Your coach is invested in your goals, cares about your results, and will be your biggest advocate!
Meetings with your coach will typically last around 40 minutes.
There is no cost to attend a coaching session!
Our coaches can help you:
- define a specific game plan that can be used for an upcoming exam
- evaluate and implement learning styles & strategies
- learn how to master reading college texts
- create outlines, notes, and study materials
- review tips for effective studying & successful learning
- address text anxiety or other stressors
- assess time management to maximize study time for challenging areas while balancing college life and other time demands
Meet our Peer Coaches
Sana Amin
Learn more about Sana
Sana Amin
Hometown: Conway, Arkansas
Junior
International Studies & Political Science double major with a minor in Chinese
What do you want to do when you graduate?
I plan to attend a Master's/J.D. dual program to study international affairs and law.
What do you like about coaching?
I love getting to be a part of other people's growth. It is inspiring and very rewarding.
What's your favorite quote?
"Whomever you become, whatever you make yourself into, that is who you always were."
- Tara Westover
What's a fun fact about you?
In my free time, I love playing video games and learning, or reading, about random, new subjects. I'm a very curious person and am interested in just about everything!
What's your favorite campus resource?
The Career Development Center and CAPS have been super helpful!
Spencer Briggs
Learn more about Spencer
Spencer Briggs
Hometown: Springfield, Missouri
Junior
Biological Engineering major with a minor in Sustainability
What do you want to do when you graduate?
I want to work for a company that specializes in renewable energy generation.
What do you like about coaching?
The opportunity to make the difficult times I experienced in college easier for others.
What's your favorite quote?
"The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation."
– Henry David Thoreau
What's a fun fact about you?
I started rollerblading a few months ago, and now it's one of my favorite pastimes!
What's your favorite campus resource?
UREC-HPER (specifically the bouldering wall)
Braden Byrum
Learn more about Braden
Braden Byrum
Lead Peer Academic Coach
Hometown: Conway, Arkansas
Senior
Finance major with minors in Accounting & Blockchain Enterprise Systems
What do you want to do when you graduate?
Either a corporate setting or a startup would be preferable. I want to help revolutionize the Finance industry by incorporating blockchain and sustainable principles to make the financial system more efficient.
What do you like about coaching?
I like getting to make an impact on my peers, it's extremely fulfilling to see that you're making a difference in someone's life.
What's your favorite quote?
“For what it’s worth, it’s never too late, or in my case too early, to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit. Start whenever you want. You can change or stay the same. There are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you’ve never felt before. I hope you meet people who have a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of, and if you’re not, I hope you have the courage to start over again.”
- F. Scott Fitzgerald
What's a fun fact about you?
I've traveled to 9 different countries.
What's your favorite campus resource?
Jessica Handley
Learn more about Jessica
Jessica Handley
Hometown: McKinney, Texas
Senior
Nursing major with a minor in Global Studies
What do you want to do when you graduate?
Pediatric nursing
What do you like about coaching?
I really enjoy getting to meet and know new people!
What's your favorite quote?
In the wise words of Hannah Montana, "Nobody's perfect."
What's a fun fact about you?
I can say all 50 states in alphabetic order.
What's your favorite campus resource?
Lilli Martin
Learn more about Lilli
Lilli Martin
Hometown: Rogers, Arkansas
Junior
Apparel Merchandising & Product Development major with a minor in Journalism
What do you want to do when you graduate?
Wardrobe stylist for either published editorial features for magazines or for film
What do you like about coaching?
College can be hard, and being able to help others and make it a little easier for them, is rewarding.
What's your favorite quote?
"Day by day nothing changes, but when you look back, everything is different."
- C.S Lewis
What's a fun fact about you?
I don't like chocolate!
What's your favorite campus resource?
Bri Roden
Learn more about Bri
Bri Roden
Hometown: North Little Rock, Arkansas
Senior
Supply Chain Management major with a minor in Nonprofit Studies
What do you want to do when you graduate?
I want to work with nonprofits, specifically those focused on food insecurity and food waste, and eventually direct and lead a nonprofit that focuses on such issues.
What do you like about coaching?
I love that coaching goes beyond just one tough class. The resources and skills you learn from academic coaching appointments can help you with all your classes and how you handle life outside of lecture periods. It's really great to know that when I meet with a student, I'm not just helping them with one grade, I'm helping them better their academic experience while at the UofA.
What's your favorite quote?
"I would like to be remembered as someone who used whatever talent she had to do her work to the very best of her ability"
- Ruth Bader Ginsburg
What's a fun fact about you?
I have more than 20 plants!
What's your favorite campus resource?
The Center for Community Engagement is my favorite because they provide so many ways to get involved with campus and meet like-minded students!
Kay Simon
Learn more about Kay
Kay Simon
Lead Peer Academic Coach
Hometown: Romeoville, Illinois
Graduate Student
Master of Public Health
What do you want to do when you graduate?
I want to continue to explore the intersection of healthcare and data science to aid in providing better services to individuals seeking out healthcare services.
What do you like about coaching?
I like helping students create a school-sleep-social life balance.
What's your favorite quote?
Win some, lose many, but never lose hope.
What's a fun fact about you?
I am very enthusiastic about advocating for comprehensive sex education in public schools.
What's your favorite campus resource?
Brooke Vaughan
Learn more about Brooke
Brooke Vaughan
Hometown: Allen, Texas
Junior
Chemical Engineering major
What do you want to do when you graduate?
Go into industry or continue on to grad school.
What do you like about coaching?
I really enjoying meeting one on one with other students my age. I think it’s is super beneficial that coaching is with peers rather than with a teacher or supervisor.
What's your favorite quote?
I don’t know who said it but I like the one that says “always be kinder than you feel”.
What's a fun fact about you?
I have a dog named Goose.
What's your favorite campus resource?
Ishan Vengurlekar
Learn more about Ishan
Ishan Vengurlekar
Hometown: Coppell, Texas
Senior
Psychology & Social Work major
What do you want to do when you graduate?
Get my PhD in School Psychology
What do you like about coaching?
Being able to help relieve stress pertaining to academic success.
What's your favorite quote?
"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present"
- Master Oogway from Kung Fu Panda
What's a fun fact about you?
I've been playing trumpet for the past 10 years!
What's your favorite campus resource?
Caroline Yakin
Learn more about Caroline
Caroline Yakin
Hometown: Fayetteville, Arkansas
Senior
History & Social Work major
What do you want to do when you graduate?
When I graduate, I want to either attend law school or get my master’s in social work.
What do you like about coaching?
I like coaching because we focus on empowering and reassuring students of their academic skill.
What's your favorite campus resource?