I received my B.A. in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing from Metro in 1998 and my M.A. in English Literature from UCD in 2003. Along the way, I have received several writing awards, including Best of Conference for Personal Essay at the Sigma Tau Delta National Convention in Anaheim, California in 1998.

Perhaps of more importance, I would lke to discuss my personal philosophy regarding the teaching of writing and the help we offer students coming to the Writing Center.

While not every student can write with flair and creativity, I believe each one can develop his/her own voice, stemming from his/her unique insights and experiences. With encouragement and practice, I believe each student can come to appreicate the satisfaction of expressing thoughts and feelings as well as capturing life experiences in writing. All great writers bring their unique world to the reader, and students can be helped to see that their world is in its own way as fascinating and worth capturing as any other.

Beyond creative writing, I believe personal growth and professional development is either enhanced or restricted by the ability or inability to communicate effectively. Creativity cannot be taught but competency can. Students can learn to gather information, find a focus, and compose a coherent research paper; they can learn to structure a convincing essay. Such skills will carry over into their personal and professional lives and can be life-changing. As a result, some students will develop innate talent they already possess while others will gain a greater competency in written expression.