Student Success + Career Readiness coaches are here to support you throughout your Sewanee journey. Whether you need support with your transition to college, making a plan for academic success, or dreaming about your future, we’re here to help. Make an appointment with a coach at any time through your Student Success Portal. You can also schedule a meeting with your coach by coming to our office from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, at Carnegie 115. 

Getting to Know Your Coach | Text Your Coach
Student Success & Career Readiness Brightspace Courses

Meet the Coaches

 





Natychia Redmond, Student Success & Career REadiness Coach

Why Natychia is passionate about coaching:

My passion is to help students succeed in every area of their lives. By coaching, I am able to support and encourage students inside and outside of the classroom to reach their full potential.

Natychia's advice for what to do when you're stuck:

It is inevitable that you will experience a moment of frustration or feel stuck with your work. I like to take a break and do an activity that I enjoy and is relaxing to give my mind time to declutter so I can resume my work with a fresh perspective. Also, it’s sometimes helpful to talk with a friend or family member to express the frustration and get an idea of how to move forward.

 




Cassie Meyer, Assistant Dean for Student Equity & Career Readiness

Cassie's favorite study spot on campus:

I love the couches and chairs in the first floor lobby of Carnegie, right outside our offices. There’s great natural light and it’s a perfect balance of quiet but not-too-quiet.

Cassie's advice for what to do when you're stuck:

Whenever I’m feeling stuck in my work, it helps me to find someone who I know has my back and talk about what the sticking point might be. I like to think through this with students, too. How can we meet regularly around your particular goals? Who is on your “team” at Sewanee who can hold you accountable?

 





Sarah Hess, Student Success & Career Readiness Coach

Sarah's favorite study spot on campus:

I get distracted easily and need to be in a place where there isn’t a lot of movement or sound around me in order to get my most productive work done. I love going to the third floor of duPont Library where I can find a corner to sit and do work without interruption. 

Sarah's tip for time management:

It’s important that I have a visual, spatial, and interactive tool that allows me to keep track of tasks I’ve done and tasks that I still need to do. Google Calendar and Google Tasks, as well as monday.com, help me to keep up with my schedule so that I don't forget any meetings or tasks.

 


Elizabeth Swallow, Student Success & Career Readiness Coach

Elizabeth's tip for time management: 

When I am procrastinating or avoiding a task I like to lean on the pomodoro method. Can I focus on the project for just 25 minutes? That’s the goal: 25 minutes of focused work. I remind myself that I know that I can focus for 25 minutes.

Elizabeth's favorite study spot on campus:

During warmer weather, the red tables outside of the University Art Gallery.

Getting to Know Your Coach

Who Is My Coach?

If you are enrolled at Sewanee, you have an assigned coach (this began in 2022). When you log into your Student Success Portal and click to make an appointment, you’ll see your coach’s name listed first. You can also click on any coach’s name to see their availability and pick a coach based on your schedule.

What to expect when you meet with your coach

Your first meeting with a coach will be about 25 minutes long. The coach will talk with you about your goals for the meeting, your strengths, challenges you might be facing, and where you need support or resources. You and your coach will work together to determine your next action steps and if you’ll meet again. Some students come for just one meeting and others meet with a coach regularly throughout the semester. Some students come to their meetings very prepared—with a list of goals or questions. Others come when they are stuck or have hit a wall, and their coach will help them think through how to tackle that challenge.

Things you can talk about with your coach

  • Time management strategies
  • Studying and note-taking skills
  • How to work best with your personal learning style
  • Identifying and taking advantage of resources on campus, such as how to talk to professors or finding affordable or free academic tools
  • Exploration as you declare a major and connections to career paths
  • Discovering your own personal values and purpose
  • Taking a strengths assessment and discussing how those strengths relate to your academics, potential career paths, and more
  • Career readiness, including creating a resume, connecting to our alumni for career conversations, seeking funding for internships in diverse industries, and thinking through what you might do after graduation. 

Text Your Coach

Before you begin at Sewanee, you’ll get a text from your coach and Career Readiness + Student Success. Save this number in your phone—it’s a great way to reach out to your coach with questions, to set up a meeting, or anything else you need support with. You’ll also get texts from your coach throughout the semester checking in. If for some reason you’re not receiving texts from us, reach out to studentsuccess@sewanee.edu and we’ll get you connected.

Student Success & Career Readiness Brightspace Courses

We have two great Brightspace courses that are free and available to all students: Student Success and Career Readiness. To find the courses from within Brightspace, go to your Brightspace home page, click on “All” under “My Courses” and scroll until you find the Student Success or Career Readiness courses.