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Univ Prof Coaching Writing, Public Speaking, AP & SAT Prep
Adrien L.

5.0 (1,333 ratings)

4,969 hours tutoring

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About Adrien

Bio

I truly enjoy helping people succeed in writing, researching, and pursuing their careers. From teens to senior citizens, I treat everyone with respect and use a background in teaching, storytelling, and writing to help you develop strengths and find concrete ways to improve your skills. As an information omnivore, I love helping writers in all subjects, not just English classes. I am patient and down-to-earth and happy to help you with a single project or in ongoing sessions to build your...

I truly enjoy helping people succeed in writing, researching, and pursuing their careers. From teens to senior citizens, I treat everyone with respect and use a background in teaching, storytelling, and writing to help you develop strengths and find concrete ways to improve your skills. As an information omnivore, I love helping writers in all subjects, not just English classes. I am patient and down-to-earth and happy to help you with a single project or in ongoing sessions to build your skills.

I earned a B.A. in English, (Journalism minor), and then earned an M.A. and Ph.D. at USC (go Trojans!). My background in the following areas is at your service:
--20 years of teaching college Writing, Literature, Creative and Business Writing, Public Speaking, and Critical Thinking, including many summers teaching High Schoolers heading to college and Middle Schoolers strengthening their academic skills.
--20 years of directing Writing Centers and working with students (from all fields of study and all skill levels) develop academic projects, college entrance essays, resumes, graduate-level writing, and other career-related writing. Along the way, I have helped many students with learning disabilities (dyslexia, etc.) find strategies to improve their studies.
--More than a decade of speaking professionally and teaching Public Speaking courses allow me to successfully coach folks in organizing and polishing their presentations.
--Many years of advising college students and teaching courses in Professional Writing allow me to support your career and graduate development (and all the writing that requires!).

I’ll respond to you within 2 hours and am glad to share resources to support your needs and feed your curiosity. Please feel free to contact me with questions or comments or to schedule a lesson. If you need to cancel or reschedule a lesson, please do so at least 4 hours in advance. Please have your assignment prompt handy to make sure our session is effective. I'm looking forward to meeting you!

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Education

Biola University
Eng B.A., Journ minor
University of Southern California
Masters
University of Southern California
PhD

Policies

  • Hourly Rate: $40
  • Rate details: Discounts for Small Groups, Graduate Editing. Late cancel/no-show = $35 (waived if rebooked within 48 hrs of missed session). Wyzant's instant book cancel policy requires 24-hours notice.
  • Lesson cancellation: 4 hours notice required

  • Background check passed on 2/25/2021

  • Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee

Schedule

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Approved Subjects

Career Development

Career Development

I have a BA, MA, and PhD in English and not only have I spent my college teaching career helping writers express themselves and advising students in their career paths, I have also given many professional presentations to colleagues and at national conferences. Besides having taught writing for 20+ years and business writing for 10+ years, I have worked in corporate offices and have consulted with individuals who need help creating their professional profile, writing college or graduate admission essays, and developing strategies for their business marketing and writing pursuits. While coaching countless students in determining their career direction and creating a professional online platform, I have found that I am able to ask the questions that help them unlock the things they may be struggling to understand in their career interests. I am able to connect their unique skills and interests with their passions, and help them communicate these things orally or in writing in their resumes, cover letters, and professional profile. Additionally, for most of my university teaching career, I have served on committees that create professional development opportunities for my colleagues.
Creative Writing

Creative Writing

I have taught academic, professional, technical, and creative writing at the college & university level for 20+ years. Students in my courses in Creative Writing (short story, drama, and poetry), Creative Nonfiction, Freelance Magazine Writing, and Technical & Professional Writing have been published in local, regional, and national publications and/or had book proposals accepted by publishing editors. I have worked with many writers individually to help them pitch their writing, find a fresh angle, locate unique sources, and refine plot and characterization to move their manuscripts forward. Whether the writer is a new student and needs help with the fundamentals of plot construction and effective use of literary devices, or if they are seasoned pros who need a sharp editing eye, I have been able to offer writers fresh perspectives and insights on their writing and effective ways to connect with publishers.
English

English

I’ve been a university English prof. for over 20 years and directed Writing Centers to help students tackle their English course assignments. Besides college and graduate students, I have worked with High Schoolers and Middle Schoolers all the way up to Adult learners and Senior Citizens returning to classes. I love helping students understand their assignments, develop a response, and revise their writing. And if grammar, formatting, or research has you stumped—well, that’s my superpower! I can unpack the mysteries of those projects and help you succeed. If you’re struggling to understand a story or a poem, I can help you untangle them in clear and down-to-earth ways. I have taught a wide range of Writing courses—from Composition and Academic Writing, Professional and Business Writing, as well as Creative Fiction and Journalism. I have also taught a wide range of Literature courses—from Introductory Lit to broad Survey courses, Shakespeare, and other specialty areas including Women writers and various Ethnic writers. I have earned a B.A. in English (with a minor in Journalism and Communications), an M.A., and a Ph.D. in English, all of which I am happy to use in service of your needs.
Essay Writing

Essay Writing

I have taught university undergrad and graduate writing for 20+ years and founded and directed two univ. writing centers. I've also worked with high school writers as well in advanced writing courses. I've helped thousands of students in my classes, and individually, clarify the writing task, unpack the argument, research, and/or critical thinking process, understand the texts they are working with, and find ways to express the ideas that are sometimes difficult to define. My sessions are no-judgment zones--I'm glad to help you in whatever stage of writing you're in. One of my super powers is helping students launch their papers to get them past that procrastination barrier that often gets in the way of making progress on an assignment. Let me know how I can help!
Fiction Writing

Fiction Writing

As a university writing professor and writing center director, I've taught academic, creative, professional, and technical writing courses for 20+ years and worked with many professional writers individually over that time. I've taught courses specifically in fiction writing and poetry composition, and coached a number of writers to publication (including the processes for finding the right publication market and querying the editor). To strengthen my fiction writing and editing skills, I took courses in the Masters of Professional Writing (MPW) program at USC while working on my Doctorate in English. I have also participated in many fiction writing workshops, professional writers conferences, as well as completed a number of fiction editing courses through the online PEN institute. I have been able to help writers deepen their plot structures and their character motivations as well as use thematic elements more effectively for greater textual unity. Whether a writer is just getting started and learning how to craft a plot or they are a published pro who needs some additional feedback and insight, I have been able to offer coaching that helps them move the stories and manuscripts forward effectively and engagingly. I've also been able to help them work out the choreography of a scene, craft effective dialogue, or create the missing details that belong in those "stuff goes here" moments in a story that are currently blank. As a professional storyteller and performer, I have also written a number of my own stories or re-told familiar tales effectively for my audiences.
Grammar

Grammar

When I tell my students to excuse my enthusiasm for grammar as we head into a unit on sentence structure and punctuation, they politely laugh. Then as we dive into the subject, they catch my enthusiasm as the relationships between the words in a sentence start to make sense. For 20+ years, I've taught all of my writing classes (Developmental Writing, Composition, Advanced Composition, Nonfiction, Fiction, Professional and Business Writing, and more) how to use grammar as a tool to communicate more clearly with their readers. When writers tell their readers that the cooks took the eggs into the pantry where they were beaten...writers need to make it clear whether or not someone is making an omelet or if the cooks are being scolded too harshly! Let me know if I can help you with your grammar or untangle the secrets of commas and semicolons. --Adrien
Literature

Literature

I’m a university prof. and have taught literature for more than 20 years. I’ve taught courses on early and late American Literature, British and Canadian writers, Shakespeare’s poetry and dramas, contemporary Women Writers, contemporary Poetry and Fiction, Nature Writers, Children’s Literature, and Literary Theory. As impressive as all that sounds, I’m truly down-to-earth and love having conversations about fiction, poetry, drama, and non-fiction texts with writers of ALL ages from teens to senior citizens. I know what kinds of questions to ask to pull apart texts and find the interesting things you’re trying to understand and write about. And I truly believe the more we understand literature, the more we understand ourselves.
Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word

As a university professor and writing center director for 20+ years, I've helped countless writers figure out how to use features built into Microsoft Word to their advantage as they format their papers, incorporate visuals, and generally polish their documents. (What relief they express when they find out how to simply set up the "hanging indent" for their research reference lists instead of all those tabs and spaces!) As a professional editor, I've often had to help writers untangle the formatting features for their papers as well as craft publications, newsletters, and PR materials with an edge for the best connection with their clients. In my professional and technical writing courses, I teach a couple of units on document formatting and design to have students learn a little more about the tools available to them. Let me now how I can help you.
Proofreading

Proofreading

For 20+ years, I've taught writing in public and private colleges and universities and found that one of the things my students struggle with is accurate and effective proofreading of their own writing. Not only have I taught writers how to proofread their materials, but I've also done a fair amount of individual editing of manuscripts including doctoral dissertations, instruction manuals, short writing assignments, and articles headed for publication in online magazines (webzines) or academic journals. During this time, I've also trained hundreds of my Writing Center tutors how to edit effectively and work with writers who need to sharpen their skills. I can proofread your writing offline or walk through it with you in a session to help you learn the skills. Let me know how I can be of help!
Public Speaking

Public Speaking

I have a BA, MA, and PhD in English with a sub-concentration of Journalism and Communications. While teaching public speaking courses many times in 20+ years of teaching English, I have taught students how to give effective presentations and persuasive speeches. As a Writing Center Director for those 20 years, I gave many seminars and workshops to students as well as my professional peers, consulted with my colleagues in fine tuning their presentations, and given numerous national conference presentations. While teaching business writing for 10+ years, I have coached many students in the art of rhetorical strategy, logical argumentation, and audience appeal in both their writing and speaking opportunities. I also trained my Writing Center tutoring staff to support student writers who were developing oral presentations and speeches so their thoughts would be clear and would effectively reach their audience.
SAT Writing

SAT Writing

For 20+ years, I've taught College and University courses in writing, critical thinking, grammar, and literary analysis--all subjects that will help you understand and excel in your SAT preparations. I've worked with hundreds of students preparing for this exam. My approach looks at what the author of a text is saying and HOW it is being said to come to a strong conclusion about the correct answer to those complex SAT questions. Additionally, we will examine some of the built-in "help" the exam offers in choosing not just the right answer but the BEST answer as their instructions indicate. Let's dive in and get started so you can finish strong!
Thesis Writing

Thesis Writing

Having worked through my own graduate & doctoral research writing processes, I have taught undergrad and graduate level writing at a variety of private and public colleges and universities for 20+ years. During that time, I also served as the writing center director and taught workshops in and worked with graduating seniors and graduate students individually on a wide variety of disciplines including humanities, social sciences, science & pre-med, nursing, theology, and more. My strengths are in my ability to help students find additional research source materials, digest the sources, choose appropriate supporting points, and incorporate their sources accurately and engagingly for the best effect. I have also taught countless workshops in a wide variety of formatting styles (e.g. MLA, APA, Chicago, Turabian, AMA, Harvard Business, and more) and worked with individual writers to help them with this formatting process. I have helped many students work through complex topics and theoretical analyses, locating the most compelling arguments they would like to make in their research writing.
Writing

Writing

As a University Prof. for the last 20 years, I have taught Writing, Literature, Creative and Business Writing, Public Speaking, and Critical Thinking, including many summers teaching High Schoolers heading to college and Middle Schoolers strengthening their skills. As a Writing Center Director during that time, I have had the joy of working with students (from all fields of study and all skill levels) develop their academic projects as well as their college entrance essays, resumes, graduate research projects, and other career-related writing. I’m glad to work with you on a single project or to set up ongoing sessions to build your skills over time.

Examples of Expertise

Adrien has provided examples of their subject expertise by answering 1 question submitted by students on Wyzant’s Ask an Expert.

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Ratings and Reviews

Rating

5.0 (1,333 ratings)
5 star
(1,312)
4 star
(10)
3 star
(2)
2 star
(1)
1 star
(8)

Reviews

Easy-going and Personal...

It has been a pleasure working with Adrien on my essays. Her conversational approach to reviewing my writing made the whole experience easy-going and personal. Beyond syntax/grammar, Adrien has helped tremendously in organizing the ideas of in essay in a logical and powerful manner. She offers advice with the essay as a whole in mind--ensuring there is internal cohesion, flow, and poise. With difficult essays, Adrien and I bounced creative ideas when I felt stuck, and she guided me through ways I could approach writing them. She taught me writing advice I continue to use in my own toolkit, making me feel much more confident in my writing abilities. Adrien is truly the most hardworking, passionate, and compassionate person I have worked with, and I'm happy to say, with her help, I landed a spot in my dream college. Adrien is the best tutor I can ask for, and a joy to talk with. Thank you Adrien!!

STACY, 9 lessons with Adrien

Knowledgeable, patient, amazing tutor.

Working with Adrien is such a great experience. She is incredibly patient and kind; she is the perfect tutor for personal essays because she knows when to be humorous and when to be serious. Adrien is great at cutting essays down to meet a word count while keeping the structure and original message intact. I am so glad and grateful to have worked with her because she's a tutor who genuinely cares about the quality and outcome of your work.

Dana, 11 lessons with Adrien

Knowledgeable and Patient Tutor

Adrien was a huge help with my grad school application essay. She was very patient and guided me through the writing process, always taking the time to answer my questions and offer helpful feedback. I felt much better about my essay after our sessions. She was also responsive to messages, which I really appreciated. I’m really glad I had her as my tutor!

Linda, 2 lessons with Adrien

APA 7 - Knowledgeable and patient

This was the first time using a tutoring service. Adrien helped me to tackle some difficult scenarios with APA 7 references that were not routine. She was able to discuss and explain her thinking on how each scenario should be handled. Scheduling was easy and I have recommended her to several of my colleagues.

Becky, 8 lessons with Adrien

Amazing helper with critical thinking

She helped me think to be able to write and know about the subjects I’m writing about. Amazing patience and great at motivating.

Nicole, 2 lessons with Adrien

Amazing helper with critical thinking

She helped me think to be able to write and know about the subjects I’m writing about. Amazing patience!!

Nicole, 2 lessons with Adrien

Proficient

I was impressed by Adrien’s fluency in English writing and speaking. She is also very proficient in how to write cover letters, resume, business emails, …. . She considers psychological thinking in business communications. It is my honor she is my English tutor.

Ladan, 14 lessons with Adrien

Amazing and knowledgeable teacher.

Adrien was very nice and we had a good amount of intellectual conversations. She helped me on my essay and helped me clear up sentences and overall a really good teacher!!

Ariana, 5 lessons with Adrien

Knowledgeable and experienced

My son likes Adrien so much! Especially the way she is teaching and feels like writing is so much fun not difficult for him anymore. We highly recommend Adrien! If you have not try before, you must try!!!

Carol, 2 lessons with Adrien

Passionate and knowledgeable tutor

I cannot recommend Adrien enough. She is incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about writing, which makes every session both productive and inspiring. Her ability to help me organize my thoughts and transform them into clear, cohesive writing is invaluable. Her grasp of grammar is impeccable, and she always offers insightful feedback that improves not just the structure, but also the depth of my writing. Thanks to her support, I feel more confident and capable as a writer.

Ana, 6 lessons with Adrien