15 Year High School English Teacher | College Essay Specialist

Kayleigh D.

I bring fifteen years of full-time classroom experience as a public high school English teacher, working extensively with high school seniors (ages 17–18). Over the past decade, I have run rigorous, dedicated application essay workshops in my classroom, helping students with a varied range of abilities conquer the college essay.
I hold a Bachelor of Arts in English Teaching and a Master of Arts in Teaching English, both earned from at the University of New Hampshire. Additionally, I maintain a valid New Hampshire State Teaching Certification in Secondary English Language Arts (5-12).
For the past fifteen years, my joy has been connecting with students. Without trust and a working relationship, a student will not feel successful. Therefore, I incorporate as much one-on-one revision into my methodology as possible. I have been able to maintain this workload in classes of up to 24 students, providing detailed feedback and instruction for each student and where they are at. Specifically, for the college writing process, I approach the college essay not as a single stressful task, but as a structured, manageable process. Each year, the first four to six weeks are spent guiding students through the writing cycle. We begin by brainstorming both minor daily moments and major life events to identify a unique topic. I use a wide range of mentor texts from previous students that show the structure of a college essay. From there, I break the essay down into smaller components, placing heavy emphasis on crafting a powerful, memorable introduction that captures and holds the reader's attention and a clear message that the student wants to convey throughout the essay. After multiple revision exercises and one-on-one meetings, I ensure that each student's final piece is structurally flawless while also maintaining their individual voice.