Meet the Professor: Fr. John Coughlin, O.F.M

Photo courtesy of Maddie Gionet

The St. Bonaventure University and Mt. Irenaeus communities welcomed a new friar to their families this year.Fr. John Coughlin, O.F.M., sat down to give The Intrepid an interview on how he became a friar and where this journey has taken him.
By Maddie Gionet, features editor, @MaddieGNA
Gionet: You entered the Franciscan Order in 1995. But describe your journey of becoming a Franciscan priest before that.

'We've Got Your Back'

Photo courtesy of Maddie Gionet

Peer Coaching Program makes stride on improving students’ first-year experience

By Maddie Gionet, features editor, @MaddieGNA

     ST. BONAVENTURE (Oct. 16) -– It’s like having a superhero for a friend. That’s how Kate Timony would describe a peer coach.

     As an incoming freshman this year, Timony can attest that these so-called superheroes live up to their motto: “We’ve got your back!”

     “I panicked before my first exam,” the freshman biology major said. “I got a hold of my peer coach, who is also a bio major, and she helped me calm down and told me what to expect.”

     The St. Bonaventure University Peer Coaching Program matches incoming freshmen and transfer students with upperclassmen known as peer coaches and peer leaders, said Abby Cohen, assistant director for the First Year Experience. These upperclassmen give them a helping hand and a familiar face through their first year of college.