Completion Coaching at South: Finding Your Pathway to Graduation
Entering college for the first time can be a daunting, even scary experience for most students. As a mother of two, with a full-time job and a partner, South Seattle College student Natalia Parker also felt the added pressure of transitioning back into school as a working adult.
“Choosing classes, the financial aid process and learning how to juggle school, a job and my home life was all very new to me when I first came to South,” says Natalia, who began taking classes to earn her GED in 2015.
During a presentation on applying for financial aid and scholarship opportunities, Natalia first learned about Completion Coaches on campus and how they could help her set-up a pathway to graduation. Since connecting with a Completion Coach on campus, she’s received financial aid guidance, career advice and has been introduced to scholarship opportunities through the South Seattle College Foundation. Natalia has gone on to earn scholarships for nearly every quarter since enrolling to earn her Associate of Arts degree, easing the stresses of paying for college and allowing her to cut back on her hours at work to spend more time with her family.
Completion Coaches at South
As part of the Retention and Completion Team, Completion Coaches at South primarily work with students close to completing their education; from paying for college, tracking degree requirements and keeping students on-track to graduate through last minute bumps in the road. Completion Coaches are advocates for students on campus, and help educate, support and encourage you to reach your goals and graduate on time.
“Connecting with those scholarship opportunities through my Completion Coach was instrumental to my success at South,” says Natalia, who has transferred to the University of Washington to study either law or sociology. “I’m a first generation college student. Without having my Completion Coach there to help me navigate financial aid and to encourage me throughout the year, I don’t think I would be where I am today as a college graduate. Having that support system let me focus on the other very important aspects of my life.”
In September 2017, Natalia became an official South Seattle College staff member when she was hired to become a Peer Navigator inside Student Services. Today she’s helping college students just like herself navigate higher education and connect with resources on campus to help them succeed.
“I had such a great experience while learning at South, and I want to be that source of support and guidance for students coming in feeling a little lost like I was.”
What Completion Coaches Provide:
- Coaching students through academic, financial and/or personal struggles
- Graduation planning and assistance with applications
- Educational planning and degree audit evaluations
- Transfer planning and preparation
- Financial literacy and scholarship applications
- Referral to employment, childcare and funding resources
- Referral to internal college resources, such as tutoring, Disability Support and Veteran’s services, and referrals to external community organizations
Collaboration Across the Colleges
Completion Coaching at South first grew out of a 2015 grant awarded to the Seattle Colleges District by the Bill & Melina Gates Foundation. Through the “Project Finish Line” grant, the colleges began building a “culture of completion,” and helped establish programs to support clear completion pathways for underrepresented populations pursuing their educational and career goals. Over two years, Seattle Central College, North Seattle College and South Seattle College worked collaboratively to develop and introduce Completion Coaches to their respective campuses, bringing a hands-on approach to completion advising and fostering students’ personal, and intellectual growth.
“Completion Coaches throughout the district collaborate often, and meet quarterly to discuss the best ways we can serve our students,” says Bo Leong, Seattle Central College Completion Coach. “In particular, we share our retention strategies, best practices and identify institutional processes that can streamline completion.”
Since January 2015, Completion Coaches have served 1400 students in the Seattle Colleges District, with participants collectively completing 828 degrees and certificates. Together, Completion Coaches throughout the district are making paying for and finishing a degree or certificate program simpler and more accessible. The work is continuing on each campus and informs the colleges on how to best remove barriers students may experience in completing their educational goals.
“Like South, North Seattle College Completion Coaches have helped students navigate personal, financial, academic and institutional barriers to complete their degrees and certificates,” says Aimee Brown, North Seattle College Completion Coach. “Students have appreciated the wrap around support Completion Coaching can provide. They appreciate having one person they can count on to answer their questions, and connect them to the right resources during their last few quarters.”
Completion Coaches at South are here to help you plan for graduation and connect you with resources on campus. If you are interested in meeting with a Completion Coach, please email southcompletion@seattlecolleges.edu today!