Denison University Valedictorian | Creative Writing Coach

Fiona K.

Educational Background
I graduated summa cum laude and as valedictorian from Denison University with a degree in Communication and Creative Writing. My distinguished senior thesis was a completed fantasy novel, Fable, which required sustained, independent work on narrative structure, voice, and revision — the same skills I help students build in their own writing. I also served as a departmental fellow for two years, and founded a creative writing club on campus to build community among student writers outside the classroom.

Previous Tutoring/Teaching Experience
Most recently, I served as Head Teaching Assistant for the Reynolds Young Writers Workshop at Denison, an eight-day residential creative writing program for rising high school juniors and seniors. In that role, I led programming for 47 students, running structured evening writing activities and workshops, and was available informally throughout the program to critique student work one-on-one. The program's model — small workshop groups (12 students or fewer) built around drafting, sharing, and revising work in a supportive setting — shaped how I approach teaching writing: I favor a workshop-style method that treats students as working writers, using guided critique and targeted questions (rather than top-down correction) to help them find their own solutions to problems in their writing.

Special Interest
I had the chance to study abroad in Bath, England, where I took creative writing classes that pushed my craft in new directions and deepened my love of storytelling. I'm a lifelong fantasy and mystery reader, with a special soft spot for fairytales (fitting, since I wrote my own novel-length one for my senior thesis!). I can't wait to meet new students, hear about what they love to read and write, and help them build the confidence to tell their own stories.