Coaching & Mentoring

For more than a decade, College Now’s Mentoring Program has helped thousands of scholarship recipients navigate college, build confidence and achieve their educational goals. As the needs of today’s students continue to evolve, so will our approach to supporting their success.

A New Foundation: Coaching for First-Year Students

Beginning in fall 2026, all incoming first-year College Now scholarship recipients will be paired with a dedicated College Now staff person, serving as a Success Coach aligned to their college or university. Coaching will become our foundational student success intervention, providing students with consistent, personalized support throughout their transition to college.

Incoming first-year scholarship recipients will no longer be matched with volunteer mentors during their freshman year. Instead, students will work directly with Success Coaches who can help them navigate academic, financial and personal challenges as they adjust to college life.

Are you a current mentor or mentee? Log into Chronus here.

Reimagined Mentoring: Launching in 2027

While coaching will provide early support, mentoring will continue to play an important role in the student experience.

The redesigned Mentoring Program will launch in fall 2027 with a renewed focus on career development, professional exploration and meaningful connections with experienced professionals. Students will have opportunities to engage with mentors later in their college journey, when career planning and professional networking become increasingly important.

Why we're making this change

This evolution is informed by extensive feedback from students, mentors and staff gathered through our 2024 program evaluation, surveys and student advisory committees. We have also seen strong results from College Now’s coaching initiatives and similar student success models across the country.

By introducing coaching earlier in students’ college experiences and reimagining mentoring for later stages of their academic journey, College Now can provide more consistent support, strengthen partnerships with colleges and universities, and expand career and internship opportunities for students.

Supporting current mentors and students

Current mentor-student matches will remain together as the program evolves. College Now will continue to support existing mentoring relationships throughout the transition.

Frequently Asked Questions

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I’m interested in becoming a mentor. Can I still apply?

Yes. College Now is actively accepting applications for our legacy mentoring program to support current college students. Prospective mentors are encouraged to apply and help support students currently participating in the program.

How will this affect incoming scholarship recipients?

Beginning in fall 2026, all incoming scholarship recipients will be paired with a College Now Success Coach as their primary support resource. Students will also have opportunities to participate in mentoring later in their college experience.

How does this affect my current mentor match?

There is no impact to existing mentor-student relationships. College Now will continue supporting all current matches until they naturally conclude following graduation.

Questions?

For additional information, please contact Nicki Price at mentoring@collegenowgc.org.

Meet Our Success Coaches

Meet the College Now Success Coaches who will be there to support incoming first-year scholarship recipients every step of the way. Whether you have questions, need help overcoming challenges or just want someone in your corner, our coaches are here to help you succeed.

Get to know Cornasia Sandford, Bella Doyle, Melinda Dang and Haley Spangler-Mullen by watching their introduction videos! Learn a little about each coach and the support they’ll provide as you begin your college journey.

Contact us!

Xavier University

Coach: Cornasia Sandford

Youngstown State University

Coach: Haley Spangler-Mullen

Regional Assignments:

Southern Region

Coach: Bella Doyle

HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges & Universities)

Coach: Cornasia Sandford

East Coast Region

Coach: Haley Spangler-Mullen

West Coast & Midwest Regions

Coach: Melinda Dang

Staff & Board:

High School Students & Families:

Middle School Students & Families:

College Students:

Alumni:

Adults Pursuing Education:

Student Loan Borrowers:

Ways to Give :

Our Partners:

Professional Advisory Council:

Get Involved/Partner with Us:

Mentors

AmeriCorps:

Success Stories:

Annual Reports :

Financial Statements:

Financial Aid:

Scholarships:

FAFSA:

Student Debt Counseling:

Coaching & Mentoring

A New Foundation: Coaching for First-Year Students

Reimagined Mentoring: Launching in 2027

Why we're making this change

Supporting current mentors and students

Frequently Asked Questions

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I’m interested in becoming a mentor. Can I still apply?

How will this affect incoming scholarship recipients?

How does this affect my current mentor match?

Questions?

Meet Our Success Coaches

Meet the College Now Success Coaches who will be there to support incoming first-year scholarship recipients every step of the way. Whether you have questions, need help overcoming challenges or just want someone in your corner, our coaches are here to help you succeed.

Get to know Cornasia Sandford, Bella Doyle, Melinda Dang and Haley Spangler-Mullen by watching their introduction videos! Learn a little about each coach and the support they’ll provide as you begin your college journey.

Contact us!

Melinda Dang

Bella Doyle

Haley Spangler-Mullen

Cornasia Sandford

Find your coach:

Ohio Institutions:

Allstate Hairstyling & Barber College

Art Academy of Cincinnati

Ashland University

Baldwin Wallace University

Bluffton University

Bowling Green State University

Bryant & Stratton College – Parma

Case Western Reserve University

Cedarville University

Central Ohio Technical College

Central State University

Cincinnati State Technical And Community College

Cleveland Institute of Art

Cleveland State University

Columbus College of Art And Design

Cuyahoga Valley Career Center

Defiance College

Denison University

Heidelberg University

Hiram College

Hocking College

John Carroll University

Kent State University (All Campuses)

Kenyon College

Lakeland Community College

Lorain County Community College

Marietta College

Miami University – Oxford

Northern Career Institute – Eastlake Campus

Oberlin College

Ohio Northern University

Ohio State University (All Campuses)

Ohio Technical College

Ohio University

Ohio Wesleyan University

Otterbein University

Owens Community College

Polaris Career Center

Raphael’s School Of Beauty Culture Inc – Alliance