Success Coaching at William & Mary earns national recognition

William & Mary’s Success Coaching Program, managed by Academic Wellbeing, has been named the 2025 Outstanding Success Coaching Program of the Year by NASPA, Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. The award recognizes the university’s innovative and student-centered approach to academic support.

Success Coaching provides individualized support to undergraduate students as they work to meet their academic goals. Coaches are paired with undergraduate students to help them develop valuable skills like time management, organization, and self-advocacy, while also connecting them with campus resources.

Since its inception in 2021, the program has steadily grown from just 71 coaching hours in its first year to 798 hours in 2023-2024. To date, the program has served over 357 students and delivered more than 2,110 hours of individualized coaching support. Thanks to support from the Parents Fund, Success Coaching is on track to have another record-breaking year in both students served and coaching hours logged.

For students like Elena Torres ‘26, Success Coaching is more than just academic support. “Success Coaching has significantly improved my experience as a student at William & Mary,” she said. “The program empowers students to take advantage of their resources and to continue to improve in all aspects of academia and wellness.”

Assistant Vice President for Student Success Wilmarie Rodriguez Ed.D. ‘21 said, “This award underscores the value of our collaborative model, which merges the talents of graduate student coaches and professional staff in service to our entire campus community.”

Coaches, who represent all of W&M’s graduate and professional schools, are trained graduate students who have expressed a desire to offer one-on-one support to students as they progress toward their goals. Success Coaching allows coaches to develop valuable skills in student support and mentorship.

Sam Finkel J.D. ’26, a student in William & Mary’s Law School, said, “Being a coach has been the most rewarding experience I've had as a graduate student at William & Mary. Every semester, I get to see how my coachees reinvent their productivity systems and make strides in their academic success.”

The NASPA Outstanding Success Coaching Program of the Year award honors high-performing coaching programs that exemplify collaboration, adaptability, and impact. Recognized teams demonstrate a strong commitment to student support by leveraging individual strengths, overcoming obstacles, and evolving their services to meet the changing needs of today’s students.

“This recognition is deeply meaningful to our entire team. It affirms the transformative support we provide to students as they pursue their academic and personal goals,” said Rodriguez. “Success Coaching at William & Mary is actively reshaping the student experience by equipping students with strategies for success, confidence to self-advocate, and a strong foundation of support.”

Are you an undergraduate student interested in Success Coaching, or a graduate student interested in serving as a coach? Learn more here.