Brittany Wagner

Brittany Wagner is an academic counselor and motivational speaker who gained public recognition through her role in the Netflix documentary series ‘Last Chance U’. In this series, she advised student-athletes at East Mississippi Community College, guiding them through academic challenges. Her approach was characterized by compassion and a direct communication style, which helped many students navigate academic requirements and personal obstacles. She assisted over 200 football players in achieving academic eligibility for NCAA Division I institutions. All students she advised who later played in the NFL also earned college degrees. Her work has been featured in various media outlets, including ABC’s Nightline, The Dan Patrick Show, GQ, The New York Times, and Sports Illustrated.

Following her appearance on ‘Last Chance U’, Wagner established her company, 10 Thousand Pencils, LLC (10KP), in 2017. Through 10KP, she travels as a motivational speaker and provides consulting services to K-12 schools and colleges, focusing on methods to support at-risk youth’s emotional, social, and academic development. In this capacity, she works with administrators, counselors, and teachers to foster effective relationships with students. In 2022, she joined the University of Montevallo as an Instructor of Business and the Director of the Grainger Center for Professional Development within the College of Business. She is also a boxing coach at Battle Republic.

Wagner earned both her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Sports Communication and Administration from Mississippi State University. She is the author of ‘Next Chance You: Tools, Tips and Tough Love for Bringing Your A-Game to Life’, which was published on September 7th. Her life and career are the subject of a scripted television series in development, with Courteney Cox cast to portray Wagner, and Michael Strahan serving as an executive producer.