Campus Connection

Director of Student Support Services Mary Coady retires

Devoted. Compassionate. Encouraging. Loving. These are just a few ways UWL students describe Mary Coady, long-time director of UWL Student Support Services. “Mary has been a support system and a rock for many students, myself included,” says UWL student Sonia Garcia. “She always wants everyone surrounding her to be successful and will do whatever it takes to help them get to that point.” Coady will be missed, adds Garcia. She retires July 22 after a 31-year career working in SSS, a federal grant-funded program on the UWL campus that provides support to low-income and first-generation students, as well as students with disabilities. Working in SSS was Coady’s first job out of college in September 1985. She started out as an assistant to the director and quickly transitioned into an advising role. Only a year or two older than many of the students she was working with, Coady drew on her own college experiences and still does, she adds. Coady overcame a lot of challenges in college. She was a low-income student with a disability and the first in her family to attend college. Learning how to navigate college and pay for it was something she had to figure out on her own. A Viterbo University student at the time, she recalls the important role Viterbo’s SSS program played in her own college experience. She is proud that UWL’s program has been able to do the same for generations of UWL students. Since Coady became director of UWL’s program in 1993, she has successfully secured millions of dollars in federal funding to keep the program alive for more than 20 years, ultimately serving thousands of students. “She was quite successful [at securing grants] even in years when other well-established programs were not being renewed,” says Tom Link, who worked as an advisor in SSS from 1999-2014. “In my opinion, that speaks highly about her ability to manage the grant-funded program on a day-to-day basis, as well as her grant writing skills.” While Coady has had success with the business side of her job, she also brought a lot of heart to it. Colleagues describe her mentorship, wisdom, humor and “glass half full approach.” SSS Colleague Mic Nauman calls Coady a great mentor who is “always looking to challenge us to grow personally and professionally.” Coady was not a micromanager, but someone who allowed staff to use their talents and skills, resulting in a great amount of trust between staff and Coady, adds Wayne Jacobson, a retired advising coordinator who worked with Coady for 17 years. Students have been “her number one priority,” notes Barbara Chandler, a university services associate who works in SSS. “She has become at times, the friend, the confidant, the problem solver for any student in need,” says Chandler. “Her door is always open.” Coady says the best part of her job has been the people. Just thinking of the relationships she’s formed over the years, she tears up. “In some ways I’m not ready to retire because I feel so connected,” she says. “I’m proud. I’m proud of the staff and what we have here [in Student Support Services].” What they have in SSS is a safe, calm, welcoming environment for students to come to talk, cry or share a success story. It’s a place where the students know they have someone in their corner, says Coady. She adds that now is a good time for her to go — as that space is funded for the next four years and her staff is in a good position to continue to be successful. Coady says her retirement will involve travel, family and projects around the house. But she’ll certainly continue to be involved at UWL. “This in a lot of ways has been my home,” she says.