I have been a writer, an avid reader and a general lover of words for as long as I can remember. And while it has always been a joy for me, I can still appreciate the challenges that some students face when it comes to powering through a difficult text, creating fluid and compelling written arguments or just getting at the basics of grammar, spelling and accurate proofreading. I can help. I have helped. During my undergraduate career at The George Washington University (in Washington, DC) I worked with blind and disabled students in areas as diverse as law, history and even mathematics. While at Long Island University (in New York City) not only did I teach freshman English Composition for three years, but I was an assistant director and lead tutor at the Writing Center. It was here where I was able to work with students from every walk of life: kids struggling with their first thesis paper, creative writing students working to find their own unique voice and even ESL students faced with the added challenge of doing close reading and then writing compelling reports in what was their second and sometimes third language.
My approach was simple: meet the student where they are, let them articulate their needs and then – through open dialogue, mini-assignments, research, shadowing and the all important draft process – bring that student to a place where they trust their own voice. The end goal: to create work that reflects the student as well as the basic, accepted principles of the MLA style of paper writing. It's funny how much writing and reading touch just about every subject and I was overjoyed to receive feedback from these students that the techniques and confidence they learned during our sessions extended beyond the subject we were working in to the other classes they were taking. Beyond these experiences, I also worked for the second largest publishing house – Penguin Group USA – for about three years and learned the art and argument behind the business side of the writing world.
In my current career I write for a speech recognition company that specializes in health care. Sounds odd, I know, but it's actually really simple. My writing reaches out to everyday people to engage them in a dialogue about their health with the ultimate goal of calling them to some sort of healthy action – whether that's getting a mammogram, scheduling a physical, getting a flu shot or just speaking with their doctor about the best ways to stay on top of their health. The writing has to be crisp and enticing to get folks to stay on the phone with us. It has been a fun and exciting challenge and the experience I've gained doing it, coupled with my teaching and tutoring experience combine to create in me a unique type of tutor. One who has been there and done that and learned through trial and error how to apply research and references, personal experience, and good old fashioned ingenuity to the reading and writing challenges we face every day. I am excited to meet your student, excited to help them find themselves, find joy in the process and ideally find a couple of A’s and A+’s while we’re at it. Contact me – let’s take the journey together.
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