About Our Team
Hello, I'm Jennifer Sullivan, M.S., an educator of 20 years and author/co-author of 2 books: Sharing the Transition to College Workbook and Sharing the Transition to College: Words of Advice for Diverse Learners and Their Families. I created Fast Forward College Coaching to empower students and give them confidence and skills throughout all phases of their college journey. Working across four colleges and universities in my career (UCONN, Goodwin University, Mitchell College and the College of Mount Saint Vincent) I know the skills that successful students need and I want to share them with you and your student.
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Dedicated to Supporting Diverse Learners
I recognize that diverse learners need to utilize a variety of supports in college and often need guidance in self-advocacy skills, understanding HOW and WHEN to ask for help. As the Director of New Student Experience and Parent Programming at Thames Academy on the Mitchell College campus as for 10 years, ​I am experienced supporting diverse learning high school and college students with anxiety, learning differences, ADHD, dyslexia, autism, visual and medical challenges - and their families.
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Supporting Students That Struggle
Supporting struggling college students who have had difficult past academic experiences is one of our areas of expertise. Our coaching team is skilled at building rapport with even the most anxious and disengaged students. We provide a positive, non-judgmental professional relationship that allows students to find hope as they persevere through their college journey. We provide short-term and long-term goal setting and skill building to get your student back on the path to confidence and success.
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Supporting First-Generation Students
Executive functioning skills are the foundation to college success for all learners. Research has shown that first generation students benefit from proactive college readiness programming which includes EF skillbuilding. We welcome partnerships with schools, community organizations and colleges to provide college access to all students through workshops and customized coaching support in the first year of college and beyond.
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Parents Need Support Too
Parents have shared that they sometimes feel overwhelmed or guilty that their student is struggling or that they 'should have' done more to step in while their child was at college. You are not alone! We provide free parent resources including in-person & virtual workshops to help you find a community of families who truly 'get it'. I offer parent consultation to help you support your college bound student. I also share my expertise as a writer for CollegiateParent - read some of my articles here, here,and here!
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We look forward to getting to know you and your student and hearing your story - both past and present. We're in this together.
Meet Our Team
Mindy Gray Executive Functioning Coach / Math Specialist Mindy has experience teaching a variety of college-level and pre college level math courses including algebra, pre-calculus and calculus in both k-12 and college settings. She is exceptional at breaking down complex topics into manageable parts and easily forms relationships with students.
Ronald Hicks Executive Functioning Coach I am Ronald Hicks and I am excited to be a part of such an amazing group of people! I am born and raised in Mississippi and have nearly 20 years of professional experience in both secondary and postsecondary education. I started my career as a public school science and music teacher for 10 years before transitioning to higher education. My experience in higher education ranges from adjunct instructor, academic advisor, student success coach, academic program manager, and Undergraduate Research Program Director. I also have additional professional experience as a career success coach, working for edtech companies and large corporate organizations. I have conducted workshops for both traditional and working adult learners in academic success strategies, executive functioning skills, career/job search strategy, and personal development. I am a PROUD HBCU graduate, holding degrees from Tougaloo College (B.A. in Music and Science Education) and Jackson State University (M.M. in Music Education; with additional graduate work in Adult Education). I am currently pursuing the Ph.D. in Education Administration and Supervision at Jackson State University. Being a black college graduate means the world to me as this is a maternal family tradition. My HBCU experience helped to shape the view I have relating to cultural diversity and equitable access for education. My passion for advocacy was developed as a college student and I am thankful for these experiences.
Jan Lichtenwalter Office / Billing Manager
Dave Mahadasian Note Taking Technology Coach
Amy Rowe Executive Functioning Coach Hi! I'm Amy Rowe and I'm so excited to be a Coach for Fast Forward! I am originally from Wisconsin but have lived in the Pacific Northwest, sunny Arizona, and now I am living my childhood dream living on Prince Edward Island, where my favorite childhood novel was set. I have bachelor's in both english and special education and a master's in higher education and have worked in both large and small institutions in academic advising, disability services, learning and study strategies, and teaching. I really enjoy helping students use their own strengths to create organizational routines that work for them. If you work with me, you'll likely be introduced to my crazy gang of "co-workers," my dogs Rosie and Chester, and my cats Finnegan and Rocky. Rocky especially likes to drop into my meetings, and he's looking forward to meeting you!
Jason Pannone Executive Functioning Coach Jason comes to executive function coaching with over 25 years' experience in supporting diverse learners in a variety of library settings, including corporate, academic, and public settings, as well as teaching high school social studies and history. With a background in philosophy, library science, and education, Jason relishes exploring the world from a variety of perspectives. He and his wife live in an 1850 farmhouse with their two cats and five chickens.
Michelle Williams Executive Functioning Coach Hello, my name is Michelle Williams! I earned both my bachelors in Criminal Justice and master's degree in Educational Leadership from Florida Atlantic University. I have spent the last 11 years supporting student success for both undergraduate and graduate students. The best part of my career has been seeing my students gain confidence and achieve goals they did not know they had. I was born and raised in America's Paradise, St. Croix, US Virgin Islands, and I am a self-appointment tourism ambassador. Ask me why you should visit!
Lauren Yost Writer / Content Creator
Tara Schmidt Executive Functioning Coach I love teaching college students. I have been teaching college students for 15 years both in the classroom and online. Working with students one on one is so rewarding, and I am excited to be a coach to help students across the country. I have a PhD in Language and Literacy, so my teaching experience coupled with my extensive knowledge of literacy gives me confidence that I can help all students grow and improve their learning skills. In my free time, I enjoy reading mystery books, watching my girls play sports, and playing with my energetic puppy. One thing you might not know about me is that I have a twin, and we both love going on cruise vacations!
Sanderson Tattersall Executive Functioning Coach
Sadie Ventura Exexcutive Functioning Coach Hi! My name is Sadie Ventura. I have a Master's Degree in Professional School Counseling and Bachelor's Degree in Social Work. I've spent most of my career supporting undergraduate students and assisting them in transitioning to college. In my spare time, I enjoy going to the gym, walking my dog and spending time with family and friends. My favorite thing about FFCC is seeing the growth in students self-advocacy!
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