Meet the Academic Coaching Team

Kerri (she/they) is a graduate of PSU where she received her BS in community health education and her Master’s in Education. Kerri has experience in teaching, one on one student support and mentorship, and digital accessibility. Her mission is to support students that are traditionally underrepresented in educational spaces and to support individual learning to make academics more enjoyable and sustainable for students. She is a lifelong resident of Portland, Oregon and in her free time she enjoys running, baking bread, watching soccer, and reading queer-focused stories and biographies.

Kerri specializes in working with neurodivergent students and students with disabilities.
 

Shiloh (they/them) is a graduate student in the Master of Social Work program at PSU. They graduated from Ontario Tech University with a Bachelor’s in Communication and Digital Media Studies. Shiloh has experience in outdoor education, mental health, and mentoring. They were born in Canada and moved to Portland to pursue their advocacy work. Shiloh strives to create a safe, accessible, client-led experience. Outside of academia, they find joy in the writing of queer authors, being in nature, reading birth charts, eating soft pretzels and their partner’s baked goods.

Shiloh specializes in working with First-Generation students.

Joel (he/him) is a graduate student in the MSW program at PSU. After graduating from Sonoma State University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, he spent time volunteering for the CalYouth Crisis Hotline developing conflict resolution skills. He believes that all people are deserving of assistance, and will work with students to ensure they get the help they need in a way that feels comfortable for them. Before moving to Portland, Joel lived in California all his life. He enjoys spending his time playing video games, eating good food, hiking, and chatting with friends.

Joel specializes working with First Year students.

Chris (they/them) has returned to Portland State as a graduate student in the School of Social Work after completing an undergraduate degree in philosophy at PSU. Chris works from the premise that each person is the best expert in determining what they need. Their goal in academic coaching is to build trust and provide resources in a constructive, judgment-free space. In that space students can identify barriers to their success while finding and growing into their strengths. Then they can decide what achievement will look like for them and how they can and want to get there.

Chris specializes working with Transfer students.

Michelle (she/her) is a graduate student in the MA TESOL program. Before this, she took the GED exam, attended community college, and finally transferred to PSU, where she obtained her Bachelor’s in Applied Linguistics. Michelle has experience in research and institutional advocacy and often focuses on multilingual communities. She herself speaks Spanish and Mandarin as additional languages! Michelle is invested in democratizing and humanizing academic skills, knowledge, and spaces. One of her main goals as a coach is to help students create a school-work-life balance that accounts for both their personal and professional goals. Outside of work and school, you can find her listening to music, watching video essays, or gazing at the night sky.

Michelle specializes working with language-learners and multilingual students. 

She is available for appointments in Spanish or English.

Alyssa (she/her) is a Ph.D. student in the Geology Department here at PSU. She earned her M.S. in Geology at Northern Arizona University, her B.S. in Geology with a minor in Chemistry at Sacramento State, and her A.S. degrees in Geology and Chemistry at Modesto Junior College in California. Throughout her academic career, she has taught undergraduate lab courses, tutored multiple subjects, and mentored students and peers. She is a first-generation college student and is passionate about creating a safe learning space for students of all backgrounds and abilities. Outside of work and school, Alyssa enjoys crafting, thrifting, spending time with her family, and most importantly, her rescue dogs, Zelda the Greyhound and Andre the Galgo.

Alyssa specializes working with STEM students.

Katy (she/they) graduated with a Masters of Educational Leadership and Policy (PACE, certificate in Student Affairs) in 2023 from PSU. She graduated from Willamette University with a Bachelor's in Exercise Science. She has previous experience in research, career counseling, and mentoring. Katy is legally blind (has low-vision) and is deeply familiar with the DRC, accommodations, and is passionate about accessibility. In her free time Katy likes to play video games, cook with her spouse, read fantasy novels, and spend time with friends and her doggo, Mona.

Katy specializes working with STEM students.

Brittany (she/her) became Academic Coaching Coordinator in Fall 2021. She has a Master’s of Education in Community Counseling from DePaul University and a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology from Loyola University Chicago. She has experience in mental health, social work, as well as higher education coaching and advising. She focuses on creating a non-judgmental space in which to empower students to achieve their goals. Brittany was born and raised in Chicago, IL but moved to Portland in 2020 to live her dream mountain life. She enjoys hiking with her husband, listening to spooky podcasts, and watching cooking shows with her cats, Watson & Ramona.

Brittany specializes working with Graduate Students.