Kriti Mehrotra
Netflix’s ‘Last Chance U‘ is a sports documentary, yes, but it is also much more. By exploring the JUCO football programs in different parts of the country and showing us all aspects of an athlete’s personal life, it has become a series wherein we get to know and care about the personalities on our screen at a deeper level. A constant theme throughout is that of an athlete’s academic and socio-economic struggles. And, since it is set as a coming-of-age “last chance” opportunity for the group of young men who struggle to find their place in the world, their education, of course, takes priority.
In the first two seasons, when the focus was on the football program at East Mississippi Community College, one of the most successful JUCO programs in the country, academic advisor Brittany Wagner had an extremely prominent role. Her job was to help and ensure that each football player graduated on time, so, she worked with most of them closely and ended up getting quite a bit of screen time. This, combined with her caring nature and vivacious personality made her the star of the series. So, if you, like us, are curious to know more about what she is up to now, here’s all that we know.
Who Is Brittany Wagner?
A native of Clinton, Mississippi, Brittany Wagner earned her undergraduate degree in sport communication from Mississippi State University, followed by her master’s degree in sports administration from the same. Then, in 2009, she started working at East Mississippi Community College (EMCC) as an academic advisor and counselor. When people usually hear these titles, they assume that the job must be easy, but, Brittany has proved over and over again that it is not. We saw that even at the worst of times, she had to keep a smile on her face and act as a therapist of sorts to ensure that her students remained motivated and inspired enough to pass their classes.
As she was responsible for monitoring the academic well-being of the school’s student-athletes, football and basketball players alike, maintaining a positive aura and having open communication with each of them was crucial. By being a part of EMCC athletic administrative staff, she became a mentor and a mother-figure to some of these young men – oftentimes being the driving force behind their future successes. One such example- her relationship with Ronald Ollie. EMCC’s athletic teams were able to achieve tremendous academic success while Brittany was associated with the college.
Where Is Brittany Wagner Now?
In February of 2017, Brittany Wagner left her post at EMCC and started pursuing other ventures. In June of the same year, inspired by her famous “Do you have a pencil?” quote, she launched a company called 10 Thousand Pencils. Using that same quote, she now utilizes her platform to motivate individuals everywhere. She hopes to inspire them and help them regain their passion so that they can reach a higher level of performance and succeed in whatever they aim to do. Prior to filming the documentary series, she spent over 15 years working with college athletes at various levels, and since she has successfully guided more than 200 individuals on the right path, she clearly knows what she is doing.
Over the last few years, Brittany has traveled all over the United States as a motivational speaker. Currently, she resides in Birmingham, Alabama, where she is proudly raising her daughter, Kennedy, alone. Balancing her work and home life is not new to her, and it seems like she has perfected the art of it. More excitingly, though, Michael Strahan’s production company is currently developing a show based on Brittany and her time at EMCC and ‘Last Chance U.’ It will air on Spectrum Originals, with Courtney Cox in the leading role, portraying her.
Read More: Where Are Last Chance U Season 1 and 2 Cast Members Now?
