Amanda Tomanek M.A.

College Coach

Amanda Tomanek received a Bachelor’s degree in History from Wichita State University and a Master’s degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from Teachers College, Columbia University. Over the course of her career, she has taught, created curriculum, and supported college students in the US and Japan.

For nearly five years, Amanda taught a first-year seminar for new college freshmen as well as an academic recovery course for students on academic probation. In these courses, students learned executive function strategies, explored university policies, and found ways to integrate themselves into the campus community. She also helped lead the Writing Center, where she created the Ongoing Support program; students in this program worked with Amanda to create an action plan for the semester which included a SMART goal, tutoring, scheduled study time, and connections to other campus resources.

Amanda loves helping students find and create their own pathways to success. Having worked with students from a variety of backgrounds and cultures, she enjoys assisting students with finding the solutions that will work best for who they are and where they want to be in the future. One of her favorite moments is seeing a student realize that they do belong and they can meet their goals!

Amanda lives in the Portland, Oregon suburbs with her husband and two cats. She enjoys gardening, reading, traveling to visit friends and family around the US, and playing Nintendo Switch when time allows.