Laci Whipple, Graduate College faculty/staff, studio portrait by Priscilla Grover
Laci Whipple | Writing Coach
Laci Whipple is a graduate student in the Counseling M.A. program, where she has a specialized focus on addiction. Laci earned a B.S. in Psychology from Boise State in 2022 and holds an Associates in Business from 2010. She specializes in balancing critical analysis and the human voice within technical writing. She has experience in academic and professional research, as well as providing writing assistance to students from many disciplines. Whether students are looking to improve their writing, hone research skills, or conceptualize qualitative data, Laci is excited to collaborate!
Mark Colafranceschi, Graduate College faculty/staff
Mark Colafranceschi | Writing Coach
Mark Colafranceschi is a Boise State University Graduate student currently pursuing a Master’s in Teaching for Secondary English education. Mark Completed his Bachelor’s in Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communication through Boise State University in 2023 and, all the while has passionately worked on crafting academic, creative, and technical writing across a range of disciplines. As a writer and writing coach, Mark balances creativity with technical precision. He holds a strong endearment for the written word and its power to educate, inspire and transform the world around us. Mark is excited to collaborate with students across all disciplines and their various writing objectives to help refine their voice and master their writing products and methods.
Bronco Finish Line is the Graduate College’s writing assistance program that helps guide graduate students from draft to finished product. Our goal at Bronco Finish Line it to improve both the writing and the writer. Therefore, we ask questions that help the writer expand or clarify an idea and identify patterns of style errors, teaching the writer how to recognize and correct their work on current and future projects.
With guidance from our coaches, student writing sessions will enable the writer to move from draft to finished product with confidence.
Student Success Stories
Michelle Earwicker
Former Finish Line Student
The Graduate Success Center has been a lifesaver for me. The writing coaches are extremely friendly, professional, and committed to helping each graduate student succeed in their writing. I have learned valuable tools and without them I would not have been able to succeed in my first semester of graduate school. I highly recommend stopping by and working with the writing team. They will do everything in their power to help students succeed.
Julia Broderick
Former Finish Line Student
The Graduate Student Success team supported me through my thesis and gave me a sense of community in the Graduate College. Writing is a process, and this department was there for me through the painful APA process, revising sentence structures, and helping build confidence. Additionally, they are the kindest people on the planet. I worked both on campus and off during my graduate experience, and The Graduate Student Success Team was flexible with my schedule, available by email, and helped me with time management as I revised my final thesis. The team I had the honor of knowing at The Graduate Student Success Department were a highlight of my graduate experience.
Jennilee Overocker
Former Finish Line Student
I received my Master’s of Education: Curriculum, Instruction & Foundational Studies at Boise State University in 2018. During the second year as a graduate student, I visited the Bronco Finish Line in the Graduate College to receive writing assistance for nearly every academic and research assignment. Every session felt as if it were my first because I was treated with the same patience and quality assistance each time. I value what I have gained in grammatical knowledge and writing skills. I would recommend this service to every graduate student encountering a major writing project.
Sarah Lausch
Former Finish Line Student
Writing your master thesis is hard work and exhausting, to say the least. Track changes and comments from your committee quickly become your everyday life, but when you finally set the last dot it is the best feeling ever! The Graduate Student Success Center was a life saver for me during this stressful time. I was always welcomed with smiles, encouragement, and a lot of advice. Not just did my thesis turn out successful, but I learned so much about academic writing and always had a good feeling when I left the office. I am already looking forward to future sessions to work on my dissertation!
Michelle Earwicker
Julia Broderick
Jennilee Overocker
Sarah Lausch