Each first-year student in the Diederich College of Communication takes COMM 1050, otherwise known as Communication Pathways, a one-stop shop for essential information about the college. As students learn who to go to for internship help, how advising works and what the difference between the college’s majors are, they have an extra resource to go to help: a legion of more than a dozen peers in the Comm Coaches program.
“I remember all the Comm Coaches were passionate about the clubs and hobbies they were involved in and I really liked that,” says Ruby Mulvaney, a junior double majoring in journalism and political science. “It gave me more of a holistic view about what life at Marquette could look like.”
The Comm Coaches are part-time employees of the college who have one job: assist their fellow students with anything they might need, particularly first-year students. That might entail being a teaching assistant for a core class, walking around and helping people with assignments. Other times, it might mean letting a student who turns up to the Comm Coach office vent about conflict with a roommate. The charge remains the same: be a helper.
“We’re here to be a resource and to be mentors. Students can come in and ask us some questions that they may not feel comfortable asking their professors,” Mulvaney says.
“I felt isolated and in need of community, and that’s exactly what Comm Coaches has brought me.”
Draylin Pickett, rising senior and Comm Coach
“We know that first-year students have a huge adjustment to make; for some of them, it is the hardest part of college,” says Erin O’Brien, director of recruitment and student success in the Diederich College of Communication. “The Comm Coaches are an extra layer of the holistic student support framework we provide for them. It’s another person students can go to when they’re unsure of what to do, which can make all the difference.”
Elena Metinidis, a sophomore journalism major from Morton Grove, Illinois, recently completed her first semester as a Comm Coach. Marquette was not initially on her radar, but she “absolutely fell in love with it” during a last-minute tour that she took as a high school senior.
“I just felt like I needed to go here, that this was my vibe,” Metinidis says. She became a coach after having positive experiences with them as a freshman.
“I felt like Comm had given me so much and that I wanted to give back,” she adds.
Students in the Comm Coaches program do more than just answer questions; they create early connections between those students and their peers. Each first-year student is required to attend at least one in-person bonding event as part of COMM 1050, from lunches with Acting Dean Dr. Kati Berg to cheering together at Marquette soccer games. Comm Coaches attend all those events, chatting with students and encouraging them to get to know each other better.
Draylin Pickett found that part of the program especially rewarding. A junior and triple major from Decatur, Alabama, Pickett felt disconnected during his freshman year. The Comm Coaches helped solve that problem.
“I felt isolated and in need of community, and that’s exactly what Comm Coaches has brought me,” Pickett says. “I’ve learned so much in this role through fostering and mentoring other students. I am who I am because of Comm Coaches.”
Both Mulvaney and Metinidis are involved in the Marquette Wire, the university’s multimedia student news service. They find that being in Comm Coaches offers more than just mentoring opportunities — it gives them a handy way to cultivate sources.
“I really get to hear what other people are going through and be an advocate for them, and I think that’s really transferrable to journalism because ideally, you want to be an advocate for the communities that you write for,” Mulvaney says. “We’re also always looking for freshmen to become part of the Wire, so it’s great for recruiting.”
“I felt like I was sometimes just floating around freshman year; I knew my journalism cohort but I didn’t know anyone else in the college. Now I get to hear what my co-workers are working on and what they’re doing day-to-day,” Metinidis adds.
Student success efforts like the Comm Coaches program play a large part in the college’s 90.8% retention rate, which is more than 10 points higher than the national average for four-year private institutions. Comm Coaches are a key component of creating a college-wide sense of belonging, which is one of the hallmarks of a Marquette education.
