Erica Whiting (pictured below, right) was NMC’s first full-time Student Success Coach and a winner of the 2022 Ombudsman award at Michigan’s College Access Impact Awards.

Whiting’s AmeriCorps-funded position allowed NMC to step up coaching in December 2020, after beginning it as a pilot project in 2015. Success coaches function as an all-around go-to person for students, connecting them to campus services that they might not otherwise be aware of while helping them with their study skills, time management and stress reduction. 

Increasing the number of students using coach services is an objective in NMC Next, NMC’s strategic plan. More than 80% of Whiting’s coaching cohort persisted during her tenure, setting a great example for others to follow. While her term at NMC recently wrapped up, the impact she had on the lives of students carries on. 


Who’s been a Hawk Owl Helper or Hero for you? Let us know at publicrelations@nmc.edu!