Hi! I’m Thea, and I’m an incoming sophomore majoring in environmental studies and psychology. I love the process of doing research and writing papers, and I get to do plenty of that as a student and a consultant! Writing can be a difficult discipline to master, and anything I can do to make the process a little bit more enjoyable (or just less unbearable) is a joy to me! I look forward to seeing you in the writing center.

Hello! My name is Harlan, and I’m a rising sophomore here at Southwestern; majoring in English and studio art. I wanted to work at the Writing Center because of an enduring passion for writing across many disciplines. I’ve been writing for almost as long as I can remember, and have always found it to be my primary mode of expression and exploration - both of myself, and of the world around me. I enjoy helping other people learn how to express themselves in this way and understand the world of thought and language that writing opens up to an individual. I have a particular passion for the creative arts, particularly storytelling, and would like to someday pursue a career in the narrative arts. While I lean more toward creative and humanities-focused writing, I am experienced in analytical, academic, reflective, and scientific writing disciplines, as well as rhetorical speech-writing. I look forward to helping others in their creative processes, in whatever form that may be.

Hi! My name is Ingrid and I am in my third year at Southwestern. I am double majoring in psychology and communication studies. I am so excited to work at the Writing Center because I love seeing what other people create and being a part of their writing journey. I love to craft, spend time outside, and hang out with my friends. I love doing research, and I am super interested in pursuing that in graduate school. I am also involved in Alpha Xi Delta and am currently serving as the Finance and Operations VP.

Hi! My name is Addy, and I’m a senior here at SU. I’m a double major in English and communication studies. My biggest hobby is definitely reading, especially fantasy and science fiction novels. I love to analyze different aspects of novels so I’m able to understand what the author was aiming to accomplish with the story, and it’s one of my favorite things to dive into in papers! I also enjoy talking about all of the different ways that we as a society work together to communicate and how our different cultures can affect that communication. Outside of literature and communication studies, I’m involved in Greek Life on campus!

Hello, I’m Ava. I am a senior majoring in theatre and English with a minor in Spanish. I am also involved with many organizations on campus such as Alpha Xi Delta, Pom Squad, and LatinXcel.

Reading has always been my favorite form of escapism throughout my childhood. Being able to dive into worlds and forget the qualms of day to day life was how I spent most of my free time growing up. My junior year of high school was when I discovered my love for writing. It started out with academic papers but also turned into a love for creative writing, specifically poetry. I was in dual credit classes so I was able to learn what kind of writing was expected in college-level courses and with that I was able to find my formula for writing papers. Although that formula has changed throughout the years, that early start gave me a good foundation to continue to strengthen my writing. When I was in high school, I would always get my older siblings to read and review my papers before submitting them and now it’s my goal to be an extra pair of eyes for you and help relieve worries regarding your writing and the process.

Hello everyone! My name is Chandha, and I am a senior pre-veterinary student majoring in molecular biology and minoring in neuroscience.

Aside from working in the Learning Commons, I’m the ZTA D&I chair (ZLAM!), an animal care technician in the animal behavior rat lab, and a proud mother of two cats and a rat. But don’t let my strongly STEM centered academics fool you! My heart lies with liberal arts, my love for writing, and the study of behavior. As a published academic author of the anthropological article “Navigating Desi American Cultural Identity,” I’ve slowly but surely become obsessed with people - the philosophy and psychology of how we think, form bonds, develop identities, and everything and anything in between. This infatuation with the research and writing process is what drew me to the DEWC my freshman year.

While I can consume books at an absurd pace, organizing the thoughts in my head into coherent writing or topic comprehension is something that’s taken time and practice for me. My hope is that whether you are coming in for writing, research, or biology help, I can offer some insight into this process for you! I look forward to seeing you in the Learning Commons!

My name is Anna Guckenburg and I am a junior English major, sociology minor. I am a member of AXiD. I hope to go into publishing post-grad. I am very excited to work at the writing center this year!

Hi! I’m Tabitha. I am a senior majoring in environmental studies with a minor in feminist studies on the pre-law track. I am also a research assistant in the political science department, a member of Tri-Delta’s philanthropy committee benefitting St. Jude, and love to pop in to various JEDI center meetings when I have the chance. Growing up, reading and writing were a consistent passion and outlet as I formed an understanding of the world around me. Writing is also an important art form in feminist and activist spaces, which I heavily involve myself in. Arriving at college, my love for writing expanded to research and learning how to strengthen arguments and form new opinions. All of this drew me to the DEWC, so that I can use my passion and interest to support my peers and learn more about the Southwestern community. I look forward to meeting you all in the Writing Center!

Hello! My name is Lydia Kophamel and I am currently a junior at Southwestern. I am a double major in anthropology and history with a minor in race and ethnicity studies. Along with working in the Learning Commons, I am a member of Zeta Tau Alpha, Student Foundation, an officer of OASIS, and a High-Impact Experience Ambassador. In my free time I love to go on walks, hangout with my friends, or read a book. I thoroughly enjoy anything that has to do with reading, writing, and learning and I can’t wait to help others meet their academic goals. I’m so excited to work with everyone!

Hi! My name is Julia, and I’m a senior majoring in psychology and international studies with a minor in Chinese.

I’m a Ukrainian-American polyglot with a passion for all things reading, writing, and language learning and have both a creative and critical eye! I’m proficient in both psychology APA research writing as well as the detail-oriented formal analysis style in art history. I have always loved the expression of creative writing and from the age of 10, I was convinced I wanted to be a published author: a goal I’m still working on to this day! When I started my psychology classes at Southwestern, I worried about the research essays I would have to craft and dreaded how difficult the process would be. But once I started, I realized there was a beauty in that kind of writing too, and once the key to that outline was unlocked, there was no reason to be scared.

I hope to be able to see you at any point in your writing process, whether research or reflection oriented, and become your support system to help you reach your writing goals!

Hi! My name is Sofia, and I am a biology major on the pre-med track at Southwestern University with a strong interest in science and research.

Through my studies and academic experiences, I have developed a foundation in biology and enjoy learning about different areas of STEM. I am especially interested in helping students communicate scientific ideas clearly and effectively.

As a STEM Writer, I am excited to help students become more confident in their writing and find ways to clearly communicate what they have learned. I enjoy organizing information and helping make scientific topics easier to understand. I hope to create a supportive space where students can work through their writing without feeling overwhelmed and develop skills they can use throughout their academic careers.

Outside of academics, I am the Founder and President of the French Club at Southwestern and am involved in Kappa Delta Chi and Rotaract.

I am excited to contribute my passion for biology and writing to help students feel more confident in their scientific writing skills!

Hi! My name is Keera, and I’m an upcoming junior double-majoring in communication studies and sociology with a minor in race and ethnicity studies. On campus, I’m involved in Kappa Delta Chi as Academic Officer and OASIS as Sociology Co-President, as well as a member of BSU, NIA, Southwestern Singers, and Jazz Band, as a vocalist. With Raven Waugh, I have also done research on the Black Queer experience in adult retail spaces under Dr. Adams and developed a workshop to present at the Collective Power Conference. I’m passionate about building community, supporting others, and creating welcoming spaces, which is why I’m so excited to work with the Learning Commons. I look forward to meeting and working with everyone!

Hi, my name is Zaria Renfro. I am a junior majoring in political science and minoring in communications studies. Outside of academics, I have extensive experience in creative writing and poetry; I love to read and paint. Some of my favorite literary scholars are Audre Lorde, Alice Walker, Toni Morrison, and Richard Wright. I look forward to helping each and every one of you on your writing journey!

Hi, my name is Madison! I am a sophomore double majoring in English and art history. I love to read, draw, and talk about movies. I especially enjoy analyzing art and exploring the different ways it can be interpreted. I look forward to helping others develop their own ideas and perspectives and feel more confident expressing their interpretations of art. I’ve always loved the way art history lets us use art to understand the people, cultures, and ideas behind it, and I want to help everyone find that same kind of connection with the subject.

Hey, Howdy Hey! My name is Alyssa, and I’m a senior majoring in psychology with a minor in special education.

I’m an older student. I served ten years in the United States Air Force, where I met my husband. We have two children who are my inspiration and motivation for pursuing a career as a special educator. My hobbies are reading, watching movies and TV shows. I’m also a HUGE sports fan, basketball is my favorite, but I love talking football and baseball too.

Ever since I toured the DEWC last year in my AES class, I knew I wanted to join this fantastic team. Although I’m an older student, I view myself as someone who is constantly learning and growing from the people around me, which is why I wanted to become a writing consultant. While I enjoy helping others, I love learning from those I help even more because I value others’ cultural backgrounds, values and beliefs, and personal experiences (if you choose to share them, of course).

I believe that everyone’s voice is strong and worthy of being heard. Still, I know that putting it into words can be difficult, frustrating, and at times overwhelming or intimidating. As a consultant, I put you as a person first and your assignment a close second. Doing this for myself has helped me improve as a writer because it has allowed me to capture my voice more easily and smoothly. For example, drawing from my personal experiences as a parent has allowed me to brainstorm ideas that help me draw connections to the course material while also looking at that experience through a different lens.

While this doesn’t make me a writing expert by any means, I use this holistic approach as a way to help with any assignments that just don’t seem to click. During our sessions, I make your needs and learning styles my top priority so I can help you reach your goals. Overall, my goal as a consultant is to help you find or empower your voice, which in turn builds and strengthens your confidence as a writer.

Hello! My name is Anabelle, but everyone calls me Ana, and I am a sophomore majoring in political science and philosophy on the pre-law track. I am involved with many organizations on campus, such as Alpha Delta Pi, and I currently serve as co-president of the SU Philosophical Society (SUPhil) for the fall semester.

I have always loved reading and writing since I was young, especially classical literature, though I also read a lot of YA Fantasy like Percy Jackson and The Hunger Games. In high school, I enjoyed both academic and creative writing because receiving feedback from my teachers helped me strengthen both my essay writing and my writing for personal projects. I joined the DEWC because I used to love helping classmates with their essays in high school, and I believe that helping others with their writing will, in turn, strengthen my own abilities.