Hello and Welcome!
My name is Gabi, and I’m a certified youth coach with a specialization in ADHD and neurodiversity. I help middle school, high school and university students like you overcome academic challenges so you can graduate successfully and lead the life you want. And you do not need an official ADHD diagnosis to work with me.
In addition to my coaching credentials, I have spent over 15 years as a professor at a private university in the US where I taught, mentored and advised students with all kinds of different majors, backgrounds and academic challenges. My time in academia is incredibly important when it comes to my work as a coach since I am in a much better position to support students through the skills I have gained over the last two decades.
Last but not least, I am also the mom of a neurodivergent child and know firsthand that school work is not always easy, especially when your executive skills are giving you a hard time.
Dealing with academic challenges can feel quite daunting, but with a few simple tools and a bit of patience, you can succeed. I have seen that again and again in countless coaching sessions with my students when they, at first, are distraught and ready to give up but after a few weeks thrive and gain a much different outlook on their own work and their abilities. By trying out various strategies, checking in with my clients frequently, offering encouragement and support when things take longer than expected and by celebrating every little win I have seen students go from a D to an A or from 2 written pages to a finished academic paper within a short period of time.
And you can do it, too with a bit of patience, resilience and the right study techniques!
I am originally from Germany but have spent over two decades abroad learning and teaching at universities in Japan, Denmark and the US. After 25 years abroad, I decided to move back to Germany to be with old friends and family. I truly enjoy being back home, eating crusty bread, walking along the Rhine (that’s where I am from), hiking in the Alps and visiting German Christmas markets.
When I am not working with students, I love experimenting in the kitchen, reading good books (I love comics), running in nature and learning new languages.
Even though I truly enjoy living in cities, in my heart I wish I lived near the ocean. I love walking along the beach, watching the waves roll in. When I look at the horizon I see endless possibilities out there and wonder what I will explore next and what wonderful people I will meet in the near future. One of them could be you!
I look forward to meeting you!
Educational Background
Academic
Recipient of the Elliott Dunlap Smith Award for Distinguished Teaching and Educational Service, Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh in 2019.
Teaching Professor of German Studies at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh from 2008 to 2024.
Ph.D. in German Studies from the University of Washington in Seattle in 2008.
Exchange student at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark from 2002 to 2003.
M.A. in Comparative Literature from the University of Washington in Seattle in 2002.
Exchange student at Kumamoto University in Japan from 1999 to 2000.
B.A. in Japanese Studies from the University of Bonn in Germany in 1999.
Coaching
Certified ADHD trainer from the Institut für integrative Lerntherapie und Weiterbildung in Germany.
PCC accreditation since July 2022.
Certifications in Youth Coaching and Systemic Team Coaching from Coacharya.
Graduate of Coach U’s ICF-accredited Core Essential Program.
Member of the ICF.
Over 20 years’ experience coaching, mentoring and advising students.
Selected Publications
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The CMU Pantry Comic Book
The CMU Pantry Comic Book is a fun way to educate students about CMU’s food pantry. The comic is based on 37 student interviews, conducted in the fall of 2019 that revealed a number of questions and concerns students had about CMU’s food pantry: What is the pantry? What does it offer? Who is allowed to use it? Will I take away food from students who need it more than I do? The comic script is based on the interviews that comic artist Cora Hickoff turned into a fully illustrated comic book.
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How Well? A Journey of Wellness Across Carnegie Mellon University
This website - How Well? A Journey of Wellness Across Carnegie Mellon University - provides students with a short overview of the history and concept of wellness and incorporates the results of 37 student interviews regarding wellness and well-being. In addition, it showcases short comics about students' struggles and successes on CMU's campus.
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Outreach Strategies and Innovative Teaching Approaches for German Programs
Outreach Strategies and Innovative Teaching Approaches for German Programs explores recruitment, curricular design and student retention in modern language instruction by sharing best practices and a wide variety of pragmatic initiatives from teacher-scholars who have been involved in the successful building of German programs.
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Deutschland im Zeitalter der Globalisierung (Germany in the Age of Globalization)
The textbook Deutschland im Zeitalter der Globalisierung, intended for advanced learners, offers a cross-disciplinary look at the impact of globalization on German life and culture. It provides e.g., theoretical and fictional texts, didactic strategies and study questions, in an exploration of modern Germany’s relationship with, and influence on, world affairs.