More About Me

I received my BA in English & Literature from the University of Alaska Anchorage and my MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing from Sarah Lawrence College, where I worked with Pulitzer Prize winning poet Vijay Seshadri.

After grad school, I taught English and Creative Writing at the college level and was the Program Coordinator for the Center for Academic Excellence and Innovation at Mercy College, where I witnessed firsthand the dire need for a stronger educational foundation for students. There I helped to work across disciplines and established standards for other educators to bring into the classroom in order to engage their students in a way that transcended their whole college career.

Later, I worked at a non-profit organization for eight years, starting as Program Coordinator and Head Instructor at their location in Hartsdale, NY before moving to the Bay Area to be Regional Manager. I developed programming, curated workshops, and established strong connections and community by further building the confidence of young writers everywhere through such things as college essay, submission preparation, writing retreats and more.

I have led creative aging workshops for Alzheimer's and dementia patients, played Division I college soccer, and have coached players ranging from age three through college. I now tutor writers whose focuses are on college essay, competition and submission projects, and genre-specific workshops. Writers under my tutelage have won numerous competitions and awards such as YoungArts, NYTimes Short Memoir competition, NYTimes Learning Network Contest, as well as acceptance into various summer residences. They have also won the most prestigious regional and national recognition at the Scholastic Arts & Writing Awards including Gold Key Senior Portfolio, American Voices, New York Life Award, and more.  As an educator, I have been recognized each year by Scholastic since 2016 for my “Teaching Excellence” as well as for my national Gold Key winners. Whether on the field or in academia, I enjoy mentoring and helping people to achieve their full potential.