Carson Ward struggled in school to keep track of assignments at Belmont University. He noticed he and his peers would often miss due dates.

So Ward created a digital platform to help students in the future stay organized and make learning a more enjoyable experience. He founded Skoller, a digital app that helps students keep track of assignments, due dates and grades.

Now, Skoller has had students from more 1,600 schools use the app and there are currently 451 student Skoller accounts at The University of Alabama in use.

“Skoller started because when I was in school, I realized it’s very important to keep track of assignments and due dates,” Ward said. “The syllabus constantly changes, things get pushed back, and the schedule changes. So Skoller is completely changing the way students keep track of their assignments.”

Skoller is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, and Ward jump-started its creation and renovation in 2015 before his graduation in 2016. In August 2018, Skoller became a nationwide application.

Skoller made its first partnership with Alpha Omicron Pi at the University to help raise money for the sorority’s philanthropy, arthritis. Ward said he plans to use Skoller to expand philanthropic partnerships as the business continues to grow. Partnerships with large organizations on college campuses are a part of Skoller’s mission in efforts to reach students across campus.

“We donate a dollar to their philanthropy,” Ward said. “We’re excited about that partnership, not only because they obviously have an influence on hundreds of campuses across the U.S., they also are on track with what we are trying to do and that is help keep students on track with their assignments.”

Ward said the app includes chat rooms for classes and even a comment section where students can give feedback on the app. Skoller had one student ambassador from Alabama during the beta test in Spring 2018. There are currently no student interns at Skoller.

“I have such huge goals for the future of the Skoller brand,” said Trevor McConnell, Skoller’s marketing director. “I think it’s going to be so successful.”

McConnell commends Ward for his persistence, not giving up on his vision for Skoller and creating a fun work environment.

“It’s so funny in the startup world, you just have to keep pushing and pushing and you just get a lot of pushback because of the startup or we don’t have the money,” McConnell said. “A lot of the times we haven’t had the funds, but Carson has been able to take Skoller to another level.”

McConnell said the resource is awesome, and she wishes that she had it when she was in school.

“It’s incredibly amazing, actually,” McConnell said. “I strongly, strongly, strongly believe in this product.”

Students pursuing degrees in various majors such as communication studies, news media, creative media, business, public relations, marketing or have a special interest in coding are in demand at Skoller. Beyond that, there is also a need for interns to join the Skoller team for the summer.

“It’s not just going to be an internship where you make coffee and print out some papers,” said Logan Matthews, founder and COO. “It’s going to be something where you are actually involved. We’re always looking for interns whether its computer skills, coding or on the digital marketing side.”  

Ward said the company currently has seven student interns. He said the position is unpaid, but it guarantees hands-on experiences. Currently, the program does not have students from the University participating in an internship.

Students interested in interning should visit the Skoller website.