LEAP Tampa Bay College Access Network welcomes a new completion coach, Matt Smith, who will manage LEAP’s new coaching initiative, designed to re-engage local working-age adults in education and training. Called Complete Tampa Bay, it will directly assist those with prior college or technical training experience by providing free, personalized coaching and support to help them complete their college degree and/or credentialing programs.
Matt joins LEAP Tampa Bay with an extensive background in assisting adult learners with degree completion. For the last five years, Matt worked with Complete Florida, providing resources and assistance to students throughout the State of Florida and collaborating with staff and faculty at over 20 institutions. Prior to Complete Florida, he was an academic advisor with Columbia Southern University, where he assisted adult learners with credit evaluations, degree audits and degree decisions. His experience with adult learners makes him adept at understanding the needs of these individuals in a constantly changing work and educational environment.
Matt has a Master of Public Administration from the University of South Alabama and earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Alabama.
Primarily funded by a grant from Lumina Foundation, Complete Tampa Bay’s personalized coaching model will help returning adult learners understand how to find available education and training options, what financial support may be available, access tutoring, and connect them to local education partners that can support the completion of their education and training goals. Complete Tampa Bay’s local education partners include: University of South Florida, Hillsborough Community College, St. Petersburg College, Hillsborough Technical Colleges, and Pinellas Technical College.
