CFAA
Academic Coaching: The VIB Experience
The CFAA's Academic Coaching Program welcomes students to become a VIB (very important Buccaneer) through individualized peer coaching. VIBs are paired with Academic Coaches who meet weekly to provide support and tips on everything from transitioning to ETSU to succeeding inside and outside the classroom. Academic Coaches also help students discover their strengths and explore their “why” thereby increasing self-confidence and motivation. VIBs can be assured that their Academic Coaches have their backs. #MeetYourPerson #GotYourBack
Sign-up to become a VIB today!
Please complete the Fall 2023 Sign-Up Form to be paired with an Academic Coach.
You are a VIB (Very Important Buccaneer)!
The Academic Coaching program welcomes you! Click through for more information and resources.
ETSU First-Time Students
Freshman
Congratulations and welcome to ETSU! As a first-time student, the foundation of your VIB Experience is the Academic Coach you are paired with. Academic Coaches are talented upper level ETSU students, aka your first friends on campus, who can help your transition to ETSU and college life. Meeting regularly with your Coach, you will explore your strengths and weaknesses, develop strong study habits, set goals, get organized, learn about ETSU basics, and connect with ETSU resources and organizations to get your first semester off to a strong start! #MeetYourPerson #GotYourBack
ETSU Continuing Students
2nd-Semester Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior
You have successfully completed your first, second, third, or more semesters! You
are familiar with ETSU and have made connections. Now it is time to explore more.
Meeting regularly with your Coach, you will prepare for your future by exploring
multiple career plans and connect with your “why” to maintain your focus and motivation!
The end is in sight and your Coach will be there to continue to guide, support, and
connect you. #MeetYourPerson #GotYourBack
Transfer, Returning (Adult) & Graduate Students
Welcome to ETSU! We are excited for you to discover all that ETSU has to offer.
Your VIB Experience is specially designed to help you connect to ETSU while preparing
for the future. #MeetYourPerson #GotYourBack
- Financial Aid (Transfer Students)
- Transfer Connect (resource for transferring from the community college to ETSU)
- Transfer and Adult Services
- ETSU Graduate School
- Graduate Student Success Specialist
First-Generation Students
Congratulations and welcome to ETSU! As the first one in your family to attend college, you are joining the approximately 4000 other first-generation students in making a life-changing decision to be the first one in your family to earn a Bachelor’s degree! We are honored to be a part of your VIB Experience. You will be paired with an Academic Coach who will provide you with individualized support to help you navigate college, make connections, and become part of the ETSU community. Your VIB Experience is a great way to stay on track, reduce stress, and increase your confidence in the college environment! #MeetYourPerson #GotYourBack
Out-of-Area (Eastern Tennessee) Students
Welcome to ETSU and the Tri-Cities area of Eastern Tennessee. Quoting one of our Graduate Assistant, “We may not have much but we have Pal’s and Dr. Enuf.” As you are settling in to your new home, your VIB Experience will help set you up for success here at ETSU. Through regular meetings with your Academic Coach, you will learn about ETSU basics, connect with ETSU resources and organizations, get involved and make friends, get organized, develop strong study habits, and more. #MeetYourPerson #GotYourBack
Veteran Students
Welcome to ETSU and thank you for your service to our nation! You truly are a VIB! ETSU offers multiple services to veteran students and one of these is academic coaching. Your Academic Coach who will provide you with individualized support to help you navigate college, make connections with extracurricular groups, professional groups, the Veterans Affairs office and any veteran-based groups, and assist you in becoming a part of the ETSU community as a whole. Your VIB Experience is a great way to stay on track, reduce stress, and increase your confidence in the college environment! We are privileged to be a part of your VIB Experience as one of our honored veteran students! #MeetYourPerson #GotYourBack
Access ETSU Students
Access ETSU is a two-year inclusive postsecondary education program at ETSU that provides young adults with intellectual disabilities a college experience similar to their same age peers. As an Access Student, you are a VIB! Paired with an Academic Coach, your customized VIB experience includes vocational preparation and support for your courses. #MeetYourPerson #GotYourBack
-
Meet Your Spring 2023 Academic Coaches
Abby ~ Out-of-Area (Eastern TN)
(Coach, Philomath, Time Keeper, Believer, Problem Solver)Major: Biology with a minor in Women and Gender Sexuality Studies
Career Goals: earn a Ph.D. and either get some industry experience or hop into academia and become a professor.
Campus Involvement:
Fun Fact: I am from a small town in central Virgina called Bedford and it is very similar to Mayberry from the Andy Griffith Show.
Adam
(Thinker, Brainstormer, Coach, Catalyst, Self-Believer)
Major: Physics
Career Goals:
Campus Involvement:
Fun Fact:
Adriana ~ First Generation Student
Major: Health Sciences with a minor in Public Health
Career Goals: become a PA with a family physician or an OBGYN office.
Campus Involvement:
Fun Fact: I gream up on a 198-acre farm!
Alison ~ Transfer, Returning (Adult), Out-of-Area (Eastern TN) Student
(Philomath, Coach, Time Keeper, Empathizer, Problem Solver)
Major: Art
Career Goals: College Art Professor
Campus Involvement: I love practicing yoga at the CPA, going to football games, and spending a lot of time in the art studios!
Fun Fact: I have lived in seven states -- Kentucky, Florida, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Illinois, Nevada, and Tennessee!
Andrea ~
(Empathizer, Coach, Peacekeeper, Problem Solver, Philomath)
Major: History with minors in Appalachian Studies, Heritage Interp & Museum Studies
Career Goals: My goal is to work at a historic site, museum, or national park!
Campus Involvement: Member of Active Minds, Member of Honors College's Global Citizen Scholars Program, Member of the National Society for Leadership and Success, and Honors Ambassador
Fun Fact: Over the summer I took a study abroad trip to London, Liverpool, and Dublin to study human rights and global citizenship.
Braden ~
Major: Nursing
Career Goals: Cardiothoracic and transplant surgeon
Campus Involvement: TRIO tutor
Fun Fact: I am from Church Hill and when not tutoring or researching, I enjoy spending time with my girlfriend and my poodle!
Callie ~
(Empathizer, Coach, Believer, Optimist, Catalyst)
Major: Nutrition
Career Goals:
Campus Involvement:
Fun Fact: Over the winter break, I went on a cruise with my boyfriend and his family. I also got to go to an NBA game in Charlotte!
Courtney ~ First Generation Student
(Thinker, Winner, Coach, Self-Believer, Optimist)
Major: English
Career Goals: I want to spend my life writing and teaching creative writing.
Campus Involvement: I'm a member of the Belles women's choir.
Fun Fact: I have a condition called aphantasia, which means that I don't have any mental imagery (or, as I put it, I don't have brain pictures).
Dylan ~ First Generation, Transfer, Returning (Adult), Out-of-Area (Eastern TN), Veteran Student
(Deliverer, Commander, Coach, Self-Believer, Time Keeper)
Major: History
Career Goals:
Campus Involvement:
Fun Fact:
Hunter
(Deliverer, Commander, Strategies, Empathizer, Optimist)
Major: Biology and Art
Career Goals: Research and Artist
Campus Involvement: Academic Coach
Fun Fact: I was supposed to have an identical twin.
Jt ~ First Generation Student
(Analyst, Coach, Empathizer, Philomath, Self-Believer)
Major: Psychology/ Philosophy
Concentration: Neuroscience/JEL
Career Goals: Forensic Neuropsychologist
Campus Involvement: CFAA Tutor
Fun Fact: I live with my precious angle baby dog, Samson!
Mollie ~ Out-of-Area (Eastern TN) Student
(Catalyst, Coach, Peace Keeper, Empathizer, Problem Solver)
Major: Interior Architecture
Career Goals: Education; Leadership Position; Design via Computer Software
Campus Involvement: Changemakers Honors College; Emerging Leaders Academy
Fun Fact: I have been out of the country twice! Once to Ireland on a family vacation, and more recently to England as part of an ETSU Changemaking Study Abroad course.
Nicki ~ Transfer, Out-of-Area (Eastern TN) Student
(Thinker, Optimist, Problem Solver, Philomath, Empathizer)
Major: Psychology
Career Goals:
Campus Involvement:
Fun Fact: I enjoy power lifting and crocheting.
Sydney ~
(Empathizer, Thinker, Coach, Storyteller, Problem Solver)
Major: Political Science
Career Goals:
Campus Involvement:
Fun Fact: I, along with another coach, in December rescued two baby kittens on the highway in Johnson City! Trying to nab them up in a grass median in a construction zone at 5:00 pm in the evening was just as traumatic as it sounds!
Will ~
(Coach, Empathizer, Believer, Storyteller, Commander)
Major: Biology with Minors in Psychology and Secondary Education
Career Goals:
Campus Involvement: CFAA SI Leader
Fun Fact: I have a cat named Dibby!
Zayda ~
(Coach, Deliverer, Empathizer, Optimist, Commander)
Major: Foreign Languages (Spanish) with minors in Secondary Teacher Preparation and English as a Second Language PreK-12
Career Goals: Biology Professor
Campus Involvement: Upward Bound TRIO
Fun Fact: I’m currently a student teacher at SHHS!
-
For further information, please contact
If you have questions, feel free to reach out by email (learning@etsu.edu) or telephone (423-439-7111). You can also stop by the CFAA on the first floor of the library in 144.