After more than thirty years in education, I have discovered a few things! First, all students are capable of learning – it is a matter of figuring out how they learn. Second, the first obstacle to learning is confidence. If children see themselves as less than capable, there is little I can teach them until they see themselves as learners. I live for those lightbulb moments when struggling students finally get it, when they realize that they aren‘t “stupid.” Those are among the sweetest moments in my life!

I started out teaching in a day treatment facility for students with extreme behavioral issues. I taught there for about five years and then became a teacher consultant for Romeo Schools. There I taught in a resource room while performing the academic testing for both students in the special education programs as well as those being evaluated for them. Later I was was lucky enough to become a stay-at-home mom with my first child. For various reasons, I ended up homeschooling all four of my children until high school. Once my youngest was in eighth grade, I began teaching language arts for Homeschool Connections. I currently teach there as well as at Highpoint Hybrid Academy.

As a tutor for Inkwell, I am excited to work with students in smaller learning situations. In a world where technology and media have become so prominent, there is a great need for individuals who communicate well through the written word. As Edward Bulwer-Lytton wrote, “The pen is mightier than the sword.”

Degree: B.A. – Central Michigan; M.A – Oakland University

Major: B.A. – Teacher of Emotionally Impaired; M.A. – Reading and Language Arts with an endorsement in Learning Disabilities

Speciality: students who dislike writing

Years of Experience:  30+

Hero: Jesus, Mother Teresa, Helen Keller

High–Impact Books: To Kill a Mockingbird, Fahrenheit 451, This Present Darkness

High–Impact Lecture: “Do Schools Kill Creativity?” by Sir Ken Robinson

Favorite Places I’ve Visited: Williamsburg, VA; Hawaii; Italy

Hobbies: hiking, cooking, reading, attending live theater, attending concerts, exploring new places

Passion: my family and helping students learn

Favorite Quotation: “We can’t keep fighting for a steady life, so I’ll ride the wind like a feather towards home.” – “Lose Control” by Colony House

I have been writing creatively for over 20 years, and just recently I completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in writing at Oakland University, graduating with honors. My goal is to share my passion for writing and to teach others how to express themselves professionally and creatively. I have years of experience in business writing, English, fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and screenwriting.

I also work full-time as a financial representative at Oakland University Credit Union. In my spare time I enjoy writing and directing short films. This summer I achieved a milestone—production of my first commercial. My fiancé and I, who will marry next October, co-own a production company that makes short films, podcasts, and online movie reviews. We’re very excited to continue this journey together.

Degree: B.A. in Creative Writing

Major: Creative Writing with a focus in Screenwriting

Special Training: Film Fundamentals and Film Directing

Years of Experience:  I’ve been writing since I was 12.

Hero: Jesus and Grandpa Ray

High–Impact Books: the Amplified Bible, works of biblical scholar Major W. Ian Thomas, and 12 Rules for Life by Jordan B. Peterson

High–Impact Lecture: Peter Markus’s “Introduction to Poetry and Fiction,” which helped me understand poetry and that I could write it

Favorite Places I’ve Visited: Meijer Gardens, Downtown Toronto, Sleeping Bear Dunes

Hobbies: filmmaking, watching movies, listening to music, spending time with family and loved ones

Passion: writing and filmmaking (obviously), helping people, spreading positivity, encouraging others to express themselves creatively

Favorite Quotation: “The only person you should compare yourself to is the person you were yesterday.”

My family moved around quite a bit throughout my life, affording me a rich background in cultural diversity. I spent my childhood both in the US in Arkansas, Michigan, Ohio, and Los Angeles, and also abroad in Hong Kong and Tokyo.

After receiving my first degree in psychology, I worked as a behavior interventionist for two years. In that role, I spent a great deal of time in classrooms working with teachers as well as students from divergent socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds who had various academic needs.

Many gifted students struggle with English, but I strongly believe that every person can excel in—and even enjoy—English if given proper guidance. Inspired to pursue my love for literature and writing, I am currently finishing a second degree in education to become an English teacher.

Degree: B.A. in Psychology from University of California, Santa Cruz, completed in 2015

Major: Secondary Education in English from Rochester University, 2018-present

Special Training & Events: behavior intervention using applied behavior analysis, immersion teaching with Native American students, creative writing workshops

Years of Experience: 3 yrs.

Hero: Jack Kerouac

High–Impact Books: On the Road by Jack Kerouac, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway

High–Impact Lecture: “Psychology and the Law” by Professor Craig Haney, UC Santa Cruz

Favorite Places I’ve Visited: Paris, Barcelona, Rome, Tokyo, Hiroshima

Hobbies: bass guitar, writing

Passion: writing, literature, film, storytelling

Favorite Quotation: “Proverbs are always platitudes until you have personally experienced the truth of them.”– Aldous Huxley