HFC welcomes College Completion Coach Todd Hakim
Todd Hakim wishes he'd been able to have a college completion coach when he was a student at Oakland Community College.
“So, I decided to be that person,” said Hakim, of Waterford. “I really enjoy working with students and helping them reach their full potential.”
Hakim is a College Completion Coach at HFC. He is an AmeriCorps member at the College through the Michigan College Access Network’s College Completion Corps.
College Completion Coaches are advocates for students. The coaches help students foster connections, integrate into the campus support structure, and engage in data-informed monitoring to direct their outreach. Together, coaches and students will:
- Create a completion plan that will outline a strategy to complete the FAFSA
- Identify the student’s support team
- Structure a schedule to make sure the student attends classes and successfully completes coursework
- Define a plan to choose the right classes and register for upcoming semesters
“I’ve only been at the College for a short time, but everyone I work with here has been very friendly and supportive,” said Hakim. “I enjoy the challenge of coaching students as they begin their college careers and leading them to success through graduation and beyond.”
Encouraging students to step out of their comfort zones
Born in Pontiac, Hakim is the middle of three children. He graduated from Brandon High School in Ortonville. After graduation, he enrolled at OCC. He completed coursework in HVAC and earned his associate degree in general studies. Transferring to Oakland University, he earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration.
Hakim is new to higher education. Previously, he worked at Amazon for 18 months before joining MCAN, which led to HFC. He reports to Manager, Orientation and New Student Engagement Kelly Baratono.
"For serving at HFC for only a few months, Todd has embraced his role fully!” said Baratono. “He is a wonderful coach and mentor for students. We are excited to start this new school year with him on our team."
Hakim has a message for students. “Don’t rush your time here at HFC,” said Hakim. “Try something new, do something outside your box, step out of your comfort zone. You might be surprised at what you find.”