Dr. Jill Hawthorne

Jill was a pleasure to work with. She kept me on track, reminding me of deadlines and pinpointing aspects of my graduation process that I may have overlooked. She acted as an advisor, ally, and moral support. Importantly, she was an outstanding liaison with my college's administration, demonstrating great facility with communicating to key administrators. Jill is knowledgeable about both the process of and the journey towards the completion of an academic career.

                                                       Computer Science and Philosophy Double Major, Pomona College '21

 

I am a senior at Pitzer College and have been working with Jill Hawthorne for a year. I reached out to her with the hope of gaining some assistance and guidance for how I can continue my college education to the best of my ability. She went above and beyond to help me learn new skills, utilize my recourses, and understand what I needed to succeed. I took a class called Anatomy and Kinesiology. It was not what I expected, and it was extremely challenging. Jill walked me through and practiced various strategies to learn and retain the course material. She encouraged me to meet with my professor to discuss my status in the class and communicate my desire and determination to pass. With the academic and emotional support from Jill, I passed this class. I worked with Jill during my study abroad semester and will continue to work with her during my senior year. Jill is a woman that pours everything into the work she does; she is hard-working, helpful, and wonderful to work with. I admire her as an academic coach and as a person.

Sophie LaSala, Media Studies, Pitzer College '21

 

I started working with Jill to help manage my schoolwork while dealing with chronic health issues. Jill has worked at the Claremont Colleges for many years and even attended Pitzer College herself. So, she knows everyone at all of the 5Cs and offers excellent guidance and experience with the schools. Jill taught me how to plan out my work schedule months in advance, which helped me not feel overwhelmed with work. Jill also taught me how to finish my assignments, readings, and papers on time while meeting my professors' expectations. Before working with Jill, I felt lost when writing essays, but she taught me how to focus on what my professors wanted. My grades went from mostly B's, B+'s, and some A-'s to almost all A's and A-'s, which I never imagined would happen!

Additionally, I struggled to type my papers due to a disability, so Jill would type while I dictated to her, which was incredibly helpful. I don't know how I would have finished college without her. Additionally, Jill was a constant source of support for me. I never felt alone with any issue I had while at Scripps. Her unwavering advice, warmth, support, and guidance were priceless.

Media Studies Major, Scripps College '20

 

Dr. Hawthorne is an academic coaching wizard. She helped me navigate my transfer to Pomona, supported me in the process of requesting academic accommodations, and guided me in preparation for graduation applications. Dr. Hawthorne has supported me thoughtfully and consistently throughout the past two years, even coming to meetings with advisors and deans at Pomona. Whether you need help settling in at the 5Cs, organizing your academic support network, or even just maintaining your course load, I highly recommend connecting with Dr. Hawthorne.

Astrophysics Major, Pomona College

 

Working with Dr. Jill Hawthorne was nothing short of a dream. Jill was hired as a consultant to provide me with academic coaching training to fully step into the role of academic coach at Scripps College. While I had some experience coaching, Jill’s expertise was absolutely needed for me to serve our students fully. Jill designed a 10-week training schedule that left no subject untouched. During our training, we covered case management, assessing student needs, time management & organization, academic reading, strategies for boredom & distraction, test preparation, test anxiety, and strategies to help students navigate the remote learning environment. Each week, prior to our session, Jill provided me a detailed schedule and outline of what our session would entail, along with numerous readings and resources that covered each topic. 

During our first session, I expressed to Jill how nervous I was to work with students and was anxious to build my knowledge and expertise to confidently help Scripps students during such an unprecedented time with COVID-19 and remote, virtual learning. With each training, I felt more confident and secure in my role as an academic coach. Aside from being just an incredible, genuine human being, Jill is a tremendous asset to the field of academic coaching in higher education. Her experience and knowledge are unparalleled. The success of my academic coaching students is a direct reflection of the training I received from Jill. I could never thank you enough, Jill!

Natesha Blessey-Bragg, Assistant Director of Academic Resources & Services, Scripps College

 

I was in my last semester of graduate school, and I had writer’s block. My work and personal lives encroached on the mental space I had reserved for school. I had enough material and resources to write three research papers and couldn’t seem to organize my thoughts at all. Deadlines were swiftly approaching, and I was in a panic. I knew that Jill had done this work for years, so helping out this frantic student (me!) was entirely within her scope of abilities. Jill’s patience, optimism, and reassurance were what I needed. Jill understood the mechanics of writing a research paper. She showed me how to sort through my resources, identify and narrow down the salient points I wanted to make, and organize my paper for clarity and flow. A true academic coach, Jill helped me believe in myself during a very stressful moment.

Social Justice Higher Education Administration Master of Arts, University of La Verne ‘19

 

Dr. Jill is the reason I was able to graduate college. Managing my time was extremely difficult for me due to severe depression and anxiety. Jill stood with me every step of the way, no matter what I needed. Some days it was helping me to get out of bed and eat. Other days it was helping me finish my senior thesis, emailing professors, or meeting with administrators. But no matter what it was, I could ALWAYS count on Jill to be there to support me. She pushed me to overcome setbacks; at times I honestly thought I was going to give up. She helped me realize how I functioned was possibly different from others but that it wasn’t a bad thing, just something I needed to communicate with my professors. She helped me realize it was OK to ask for help and accommodations. She helped me find my voice by sometimes becoming my voice. Her patience with me helped me learn to be patient with myself, and her belief in my abilities helped me believe in myself. She has extensive knowledge in academia, especially for academic accommodations and disability services, and a deep understanding of the college/campus culture. Dr. Jill is the kindest, most open-heart person I have ever met, and I would recommend her to anyone who feels like they need help but aren’t sure how to ask.

Microbiology Major, Pomona College ‘19

 

I have known and interacted with Jill professionally for almost twenty years, and I was her direct supervisor at Pitzer College. I was fortunate to hire Jill as Associate Dean of Students and Director of Academic Support Services, which included oversight and management of all areas of academic support and services for students with disabilities. Jill is an excellent communicator, both in-person and in writing, and her presentation and facilitation skills are superb. She cares deeply about students, from their essential well-being to their personal and academic success. This is evidenced by the number of students who wanted to meet and work with Jill, even before arriving on campus.

In her role as Associate Dean at Pitzer, Jill not only brought much-needed stability and consistency to the office and the program upon her arrival, but she also raised the standard of service, support, and professionalism to an entirely new level. Jill very quickly built bridges with students and, very importantly, faculty at Pitzer. She has a tremendous ability to develop trust and garner respect from colleagues at all levels, whether they are a peer, a subordinate, or a senior leader at an institution. I saw this first-hand while Jill worked in various roles at Pomona College, Scripps College, and Pitzer College. I recommend Jill as an academic coach to the highest degree possible.

Jim Marchant, Vice President of Strategic Planning and Community Relations, Pitzer College

 

I honestly don’t know where I would be today without Jill’s help. Jill is incredibly patient, hardworking, and passionate about what she does. Meeting with Jill helped me stay organized, on top of my work, and maintain a positive outlook on academics. She comes up with creative and personalized solutions to any problems that may arise over time. She is well versed in academic policies and culture and takes a “hands-on” approach to her interactions with students. Thank you, Jill!

Arielle Davis, Psychology and Sociology, Pitzer College ’18

(in tribute to Arielle, June 5, 1996 - December 18, 2019)

 

Meeting with Jill to explore different options to accommodate my needs allowed me to perform at my best in and outside of the classroom. Meeting with Jill on a regular basis also gave me the unique opportunity to collaborate on different academic projects such as tutoring services and academic workshops.

Maria Melendrez, Sociology, Pitzer College ‘16

 

Jill is exceptionally skilled at strategic questioning—you can always count on her to push your thinking and to help you develop your perspective independent of what she believes. I found myself learning more about how to navigate an institution like Scripps through my interactions with Jill—and she’s always been one of the nicest people I’ve ever worked with.

Antoinette Myers, Latin American Studies & Politics/International Relations, Scripps College ‘12