College Coaching with Neil
College can be overwhelming. I know because I spent years struggling through it.I'm Neil Hawke, a supply chain and technology professional currently based in Hong Kong. My path was anything but straightforward. I failed out of college twice, changed direction more than once, and learned many lessons the hard way before eventually earning an MBA, becoming a PMP-certified project manager, and building an international career.This site exists to share the resources, ideas, and lessons that helped me along the way. If you're a student trying to find your footing- or a parent looking to better understand the challenges students face- I hope you'll find something useful here.You can browse my free and low-cost resources on the Resources page, and feel free to connect with me using the links below.
Turn your setback into a comeback.
My Story
I'm Neil Hawke.Today, I work in supply chain, manufacturing, and technology, with experience spanning engineering, operations, sourcing, and strategy across North America and Asia. I hold a BS in Engineering Management and an MBA from Michigan Technological University, am a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), and currently live and work in Hong Kong.None of that was inevitable.
In late 2019, I failed out of college for the second time. My GPA had fallen to 1.6. While many of my friends were graduating, starting careers, and moving on to the next stage of life, I felt completely stuck. I spent years making poor decisions, avoiding responsibility, and struggling to build the habits needed for academic success.Things reached their lowest point during the summer of 2020. I was living with my parents, working at a grocery store during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and unsure what the future would look like.What changed wasn't a single breakthrough. It was a series of small decisions, difficult conversations, and gradual improvements. With support from family, friends, mentors, and university staff, I began rebuilding my confidence, habits, and direction.Over the next few years, I returned to school, earned multiple engineering internships, worked as a teaching assistant, completed my degree, earned an MBA, and launched my professional career. More importantly, I learned how to recover from failure, build momentum, and create opportunities where none seemed to exist.This website is a collection of the lessons, systems, and resources that helped me along the way. Everything here is based on real experiences, real mistakes, and real outcomes.If you're struggling academically, feeling behind your peers, or trying to figure out your next step, I hope something here proves useful.You can also connect with me on LinkedIn or visit my personal website to learn more about my current work and projects.
Turn your setback into a comeback.
Resources
If you need full step-by-step turnaround support, grab my Academic Rescue Toolkit ($29).Alternatively, many students can utilize the tools in the Recovery Starter Pack (free) and Recovery Action Pack ($5).For parents, start with the Academic Rescue Blueprint (free), and move to the Recovery Parents Pack ($4) for specific tools.Finally, for early-career and internship support, look at our Internship Starter Pack ($5) (in development, some tools released).All resources are available on Gumroad for download.
Turn your setback into a comeback.