Jess Connors

Owner and Founder, Executive Function Coach

Jess has been an executive function coach and teacher since 2018. She lives with her husband and two large dogs about an hour west of Boston. In her free time, she loves to read, write, cook, do puzzles, travel, and exercise. She earned her BA in European Studies from University of Washington in 2012, MA in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University in 2014, and Professional Certificate in Learning Differences and Neurodiversity with a Specialization in Executive Function from Landmark College in 2022. 

Jess works full-time with struggling current and rising college students who are either taking a gap year or a temporary leave-of-absence. Semester Off  is a small, private program in Wellesley, MA that provides students with a holistic approach to mental and emotional health, physical health and wellness, and academics and executive functioning. She designed and teaches a semester-long EF and Academic Skills curriculum that allows students, most of whom have diagnoses of ADHD, ASD, anxiety, and/or depression, to learn and practice the strategies necessary for college success. 

Private EF coaching after Semester Off is an effective way to continue practicing the skills learned during the semester, but participation in Semester Off is by no means a necessary precursor to private coaching. Any student, regardless of how long they have attended college or how seriously they’ve struggled, can benefit from coaching. Jess is passionate about helping students achieve their educational goals while reducing stress and increasing enjoyment of the college experience.

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Avery Walsh

Executive Function Coach

Avery has been an educator since 1995 and an academic and executive function coach since 2015. She has experience with middle and high school students but has found her passion in working with college students and adults. She empowers her clients to try out new strategies, make their own decisions, and embrace their mistakes as learning opportunities; she does this by giving students EF tools, slowly but surely, based on where they are at in their disorganization and mental health. She walks them through the steps to success, scaffolding along the way and supporting them as they utilize new skills and strategies in their daily lives. Avery’s approach is highly collaborative and empathetic. She tells her students that there is no blame, no shame. They just need to show up and be honest, even if they “didn’t do anything” and “just procrastinated.” She can work with that!

Avery has worked with students from UCLA’s Center for Accessible Education and has been a guest lecturer at Pepperdine University for mindful approaches to stress management for college students. She has a bachelor’s degree in Dramatic Writing, a master’s degree in Child Development, a post-baccalaureate certificate in Educational Therapy and multiple teaching credentials. She has also received specialized training in Mindfulness Facilitation and ADHD Coaching for Teens and College Students.

Avery is a recent transplant from Los Angeles. In her free time, she enjoys kayaking, hiking, reading and playing with her dog, Hazel. Avery and her husband have two young adult children who remind them daily that growing up is a journey!

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Sally Phelps

Career and College Admissions Coach

After a successful and fulfilling corporate and academic journey, Sally’s mission remains unchanged: to support young people through life’s transitions. Sally spent 22 years at Bose Corporation where she built the University Relations Program, hiring hundreds of interns and recent grads from the best universities and providing them with rich programming, strong work experience and mentoring. From there, she spent 16 years as Career Center Director at Olin College of Engineering, where she supported young engineers in finding internships, jobs and applying to grad school. Today, as part of the Collaborative College Coaching team, Sally continues to offer career and college admissions support to young people. 

As a Career Coach, Sally helps young people in search of an internship, job or career guidance. She will work on identifying goals and motivating factors, create a compelling resume, cover letter and LinkedIn profile, lay out a job search plan, and assist with interview prep and negotiation.

As a College Admissions Coach, Sally works with high school students, college students looking to transfer, and their families to simplify what can feel like a stressful, daunting process of finding the right college fit. She helps students get organized, create a timeline and begin to think about future paths. She pulls together the key elements – school selection, completion of the common app, essay ideation, review of extracurriculars – into a strong, well-rounded application.  

Sally firmly believes that we all hold within us the potential to feel connected, motivated and happy in our personal and professional lives.  Together with her vast network, experience and the power of the universe, she empowers our leaders of tomorrow to pursue their dreams with unwavering confidence and boundless joy.

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Melissa Baroff

Executive Function, SAT, and Senior Thesis Coach

Melissa is currently an instructor at Semester Off, a program which helps students build executive functioning, academic skills, and self-confidence. At Semester Off, Melissa teaches workshops on academic writing, motivation, and emotional regulation and works individually with students navigating ADHD, anxiety, and other learning differences.

Melissa holds a PhD in Classical Studies from Duke University and a BA in Classics from Northwestern University. While at Duke, she served as an instructor of record in Latin, a teaching assistant in Interdisciplinary Humanities courses, and a graduate intern in student affairs. Her academic work has focused on gender, power, and pedagogy in antiquity. Melissa also taught with the Duke Pre-College Program, where she designed and taught seminars on ancient literature and women in the classical world.

Melissa has extensive experience working one-on-one with students of all ages. She has tutored students in Latin, language arts, and history. She also helps high school students prepare for the SATs and specializes in academic, research-based writing for high school and college students. Having recently completed a doctoral thesis, she is particularly qualified to help college students plan, research, and write senior thesis papers.

Originally from New Hampshire, Melissa lives in Brookline, MA with her husband and dog, Billie. Outside of work, she enjoys sewing, reading, and long walks with Billie.