Jesse Kiracofe serves as an Academic Coach with the First Gen Hawks program, housed within Academic Support & Retention at the University of Iowa. Prior to joining the Academic Support & Retention team, he worked as an advisor for the TRIO Upward Bound Programs at both the University of Iowa and Kirkwood Community College. During his time working with TRIO programs, he discovered a passion for supporting first gen students in their pursuit of their academic goals. As a former first gen college student himself, he understands the obstacles that first gen student face and has extensive experience helping them overcome these obstacles. Jesse holds a degree in Secondary Education from Mt. Mercy University in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and previously worked as a Language Arts teacher before joining the Higher Education world. In his free time, he enjoys running, playing guitar, and spending time with family.