Meet the Team

MEET COACH EMILY MCCLAINE

Associate Director for Academic Success Design

Emily McClaine is a proud first-generation college graduate. She holds a Master of Education in Higher Education Administration and Student Personnel with certificates in College Teaching and Career and Academic Advising from Kent State University. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education degree in Administration and Leadership Studies at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Prior to her graduate studies, Emily earned her Bachelor of Arts in English with minors in Public Relations and Digital Media Arts at Duquesne University where she graduated Summa Cum Laude. In her former professional roles, Emily has worked with TRIO Student Support Services, McNair Scholars Program, and Academic Diversity Outreach departments within University College at Kent State University, as well as the Choose Ohio First Scholarship Program at the University of Akron. As an alumna of a TRIO Upward Bound program, Emily knows firsthand the benefit and empowerment that support and achievement programs provide. Emily’s passion in higher education is to create environments that encourage students’ intrinsic motivation, invite students to explore their sense of self, and empower students to embrace challenge and persevere as they strive toward their personal and professional goals. Her interests focus on educational equity and ensuring that students from all backgrounds have the support and opportunity to succeed. Emily resides in Austintown, Ohio with her husband, daughter, and two cats. She loves strategic board games, Star Trek, and spending her summers gardening, kayaking, and hiking.

MEET COACH JULIE FERRINGER

Assistant Director for Academic Success

Julie has been a part of the SRU family since 2005. Prior to serving in her current role, she spent 13 years serving as an Environmental Educator at the McKeever Center. While there, she fostered many relationships and was a support to students of all ages. The connections made there stem from her passion to empower others to always strive for success and be committed to lifelong learning. She hopes to continue to instill these important characteristics within her role as a Student Success Coach at SRU. It is important to her that everyone in our campus community feels supported, empowered and embraced as an integral piece of the puzzle that makes SRU such a special place. Julie received her Bachelors and Masters degrees from Edinboro University. She is passionate about the environment, student success, fly fishing and trail running. She lives in Utica, PA with her husband, Mark, three children, Grace, Molly, Rory, and their Black Lab, Kinzua.

MEET COACH GRACE BENNETT

Success Coach and Career/Life Design Coordinator

Grace Bennett works as a Success and Career Coach here at SRU. She earned a BA in International Studies from Arcadia University with a concentration in globalization, development, and human rights. While at Arcadia, she was able to spend three amazing spring semesters studying abroad in London, South Africa, and Wales further fueling her desire to travel and work abroad. After graduating in 2014, Grace moved to Taiwan to work as an English as a Foreign Language teacher to students ages 3-30 for almost seven years. In 2021, Grace came back to PA, a native of Grove City, to study at the Rock and earned a MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). Grace’s research focuses on culturally responsive teaching (CRT), a pedagogy grounded in the educator’s practice of cultural awareness, sensitivity, communication, and recognition of the students’ lived experiences. After almost ten years of working in education, she describes herself as a teacher, a coach, and a cheerleader for her students. Her goal is to assist and support all individuals to be successful before, during, and after their time at SRU. She values trust, honesty, and communication and encourage the students she works with to be open and authentic about their goals, desires, and curiosities for their lives. Grace’s coaching philosophy is student-centered, focusing on self-advocacy, organization, cultural competency, and connection. Outside of the Rock, Grace enjoys listening and dancing to live music with family and friends, practicing joyful movement, and learning new languages.

MEET THE PEER ACADEMIC COACHES

College of Business

Adriaunna Chambers, Strategic Communication and Media major, Peer Academic Coach
Gabriela del Val del Toro, Strategic Communication and Media major, Peer Academic Coach

College of Education

Cari McCarty, Secondary Education (English) major, Peer Academic Coach
Lucian Dean, Secondary Education (Social Studies/History) major, Peer Academic Coach
Madison Caldwell, Early Childhood Education major, Peer Academic Coach
Sarah Danner, Physical Activity and Fitness Management (Pre-AT), Peer Academic Coach

College of Engineering and Science

Abigail Gonzalez, Biology major, Peer Academic Coach
Alina Mazur, Biology major, Peer Academic Coach
Angelica Gyan, Biology major, Peer Academic Coach
Mekel Chapman, Computing major, Peer Academic Coach
Nuria Martin Lopez, Mathematics/Statistics major, Peer Academic Coach

College of Health Professions

Abigail Gonzalez, Pre-PT 3+3 major, Peer Academic Coach
Gabriela del Val del Toro, Psychology major, Peer Academic Coach
Hanna Zeiler, Exercise Science major, Student Office Assistant
Kennedy Thomas, Exercise Science major, Peer Academic Coach
Leontina Slovak, Exercise Science major, Peer Academic Coach

College of Liberal Arts

Alina Mazur, Modern Languages and Cultures major, Concentration in Professional Spanish, Peer Academic Coach
Cari McCarty, English/Education major, Peer Academic Coach
Isabel Snyder, English Literature major, Peer Academic Coach
Lucian Dean, History/Education major, Peer Academic Coach

Success Coaching