Monica serves as the  Associate Director for Academic Coaching & Advising with the ACCESS Program. Prior to entering the higher education field, she worked for nearly a decade as an Defense Contractor/Analyst in support of the Department of Defense and State Department. When she realized that her true passion was to help others achieve their highest potential, she went into the counseling field and ultimately discovered her love of working with students. Monica is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership from Florida Atlantic with a research focus on humor in academic advising. She has earned two Masters of Education (Counseling and Higher Education Leadership) and earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from University of Georgia. In her free time Monica enjoys to travel, spend time with her family and friends, and dote on her Chihuahua.