I hold a BA in Communication Studies from the University of Minnesota (with minors in Chemistry and Sport Management) and a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Penn State Dickinson Law. I am a licensed practicing attorney and have extensive professional experience with research, writing, editing, persuasive communication, and public speaking.
For the past 7 years, I have coached high school competitive speech in Minnesota and currently serve as a head speech coach. I work primarily with students in...
I hold a BA in Communication Studies from the University of Minnesota (with minors in Chemistry and Sport Management) and a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Penn State Dickinson Law. I am a licensed practicing attorney and have extensive professional experience with research, writing, editing, persuasive communication, and public speaking.
For the past 7 years, I have coached high school competitive speech in Minnesota and currently serve as a head speech coach. I work primarily with students in grades 7–12 in both one-on-one and small-group settings. My coaching includes public speaking, speech writing and organization, persuasive communication, interpretation and performance, research, argument development, delivery, and preparation for competition.
My approach is highly individualized. I help students identify specifically what is and is not working, explain why, and develop concrete strategies for improvement rather than simply telling them what to change. Depending on the student's needs, this may include restructuring written material, strengthening arguments, improving clarity and flow, refining delivery, working on vocal and physical presentation, or practicing in a performance setting and providing detailed feedback. I prefer a Socratic method where the student comes up with ideas and changes themselves based on questions and prompting from me.
As an attorney, I also have substantial experience producing and reviewing professional written work that requires clear organization, careful research, precise language, and persuasive reasoning. This background allows me to work with students on academic and persuasive writing, editing, research, argumentation, and communicating complex ideas clearly.
I am comfortable working with students who need help developing skills from the ground up as well as experienced speakers and writers who are looking for detailed feedback to take their work to a higher level.
