"Working with Claudia as my academic coach was a great experience! As a first-generation student, I was initially worried about what classes to take, how I would manage being in a college setting and more. Claudia was incredibly helpful in talking me through my worries, reassuring me that I would be ok. 
When it came to discussing my classes such as which ones to take or whether or not I was liking the class and my professor along with my overall experience, she listened which is something that I appreciated! It was hard being in a setting where I had to figure everything out by myself, but having Claudia as a resource helped me to not only grow, but learn how to navigate this new space. 
One moment that stands out to me is my freshman year of college. I remember that I was struggling with a few of my classes. I shared my concerns with Claudia, expressing that I was worried I would fall behind as I was in a quarter system where everything was fast-paced, meaning you had to stay on top of your work. She helped me come up with a plan to get me through my week which allowed me to not only take it day by day, but to focus on manageable goals instead of everything at once. 
Our coaching sessions helped me in both academic and personal goals! I remember when I was first starting off in college I was scared and confused on what to do, what classes I should take. Claudia was incredibly helpful in helping me pick out my classes, introducing me to resources such as Rate My Professor and walked me through making informed decisions about classes. 
During our sessions, she kept me accountable on goals that we had created in previous sessions. Through this consistency, it was able to help me stay focused and track my progress with not only my goals, but also workload. I remember in my first year of college, I was nervous of attending my professor and TA’s office hours. Claudia helped me by writing out a plan on what I wanted to speak with them about and how to approach them. The support was valuable as it gave me the confidence to reach out when I needed help in classes. 
In my personal life, I remember being nervous about applying for my first job as I was worried about balancing it with school. Claudia encouraged me in the way that she helped me think about my schedule and how I would make it work with school. She supported me and with her guidance, it gave me the confidence to apply. Luckily, I got the job which was a big step in feeling more of an adult and independent. 
There were many aspects of her coaching that I found most beneficial. The structure of her meetings is something that I really liked. During our meetings, we would start off with a check in and I would like to mention that Claudia has this ability to create a welcoming space. It made me feel comfortable enough to share what was going on in my life. After our check ins, we would discuss how school was going and this ranged from a variety of things, not simply focused on grades or whether or not I was complete my assignments, but also other things like if I liked the professor and the way they taught, tutoring services, resources on campus I could explore, etc. 
Another aspect of her coaching I found beneficial was the accountability. During our meetings, she would keep me accountable with the goals we set. She checked in with me about how much I had completed, if I had made any form of progress, and I appreciated that because in college, it can be hard to manage everything. It also taught me the importance of time management, something that is crucial in a college setting. 
The third aspect of her coaching that I found beneficial was the encouragement she provided. There were days where it was hard and Claudia was always encouraging me and providing support. Having her in my corner supporting me meant a lot! It reminded me that I could navigate college and succeed. 

After working with Claudia, I felt an increase in confidence, motivation and overall mindset. By discussing my worries and having someone in my corner who understood what I was going through as a first-generation Latina, I felt better about navigating college. I also felt more equipped to handle any situations that might have come my way. My motivation was increased as I had support and no longer felt like I was alone. Working with Claudia helped me long-term as I built habits and skills that aided me in my academic journey. I would definitely recommend her coaching services to other students! It was a complete honor to have her as my academic coach! I’m not sure how I would have navigated college without her as she was a great resource and helped me immensely. If you have Claudia as your academic coach, know you are in great hands! "