As the GEAR UP Success Coach at UNC Greensboro, McKayla provides coaching to first-year students from participating GEAR UP high schools. Before her role with GEAR UP, McKayla served as a Graduate Assistant for Student Support Services at UNC Greensboro. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from UNC Greensboro, and she is currently pursuing a Master of Arts degree in Sociology also from UNC Greensboro. As a student who identifies as first-generation from the small town of Mocksville, North Carolina, McKayla has developed a strong passion for working with students who come from similar backgrounds.