MEET your COACH

Denis Garcia Reyes is an academic and career coach committed to supporting students and early-career professionals navigating systems that often feel inaccessible or overwhelming. Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, and of Salvadoran-American heritage, Denis grew up in a low-income, immigrant family. His personal, academic, and professional journey has been deeply shaped by these experiences, which continue to inform his commitment to access, retention, and meaningful success in higher education and beyond.

As a first-generation college student attending a Predominantly White Institution, Denis experienced culture shock and a sense of disconnection that led him to seek affirming communities. Through that process, he developed a strong interest in college access and began to understand how deeply structural barriers shape students’ experiences. This realization sparked his desire to support others in navigating higher education.

Over time, Denis expanded his focus beyond access to include retention and persistence and post-graduation success. Through peer mentoring, resume and cover letter reviews, and program coordination, he discovered that his attention to detail, empathy, and strategic thinking were not just skills, but tools for helping people move through complex systems with greater clarity and confidence.

Garcia Reyes Coaching emerged from Denis’s recognition that many people are taught to work harder without being given the tools to navigate systems that were not built with them in mind. Through his coaching practice, he supports first-generation students and early-career professionals in developing strategy, clarity, and dignity while honoring their lived experiences. His work is rooted in the belief that moving beyond survival requires both practical guidance and the permission to imagine futures grounded in agency and joy.