Biography of Peer Writing Tutors

Peer Writing Tutor 2011-2012

 

Jessica Guenther--RWT, Burbank
Major/Minor: Human Biology, AC Health over the Life Course
 Class Year: 2013
Tutoring Interests: PWR, Rhetorical Analysis
Languages: French, English
I like writing because...  It allows me to express myself more fully and creatively. Also, I love that in an essay or piece of writing there is no correct answer. It allows me to broaden the way I thinka bout a topic and to reflect more deeply and thoroughly.

Evan Dragic--Drop-in Tutor
Major/Minor: Double major, Symbolic Systems (Philosophical Foundations) & English
Class Year: 2012
Tutoring interests: I enjoy tutoring creative writing, English essays, and philosophy papers
Languages: Spanish (high school level)
I like writing because...  I find language itself fascinating in its richness and complexity, and find writing a beautiful way to explore that. But I think what I enjoy most about writing is forging a connection with my reader, or with the people I am discussing written work with. I also like stories.

Arielle Humphries--Drop-in Tutor
Major/Minor: International Relations major, Modern Languages minor
Class Year: 2013
Languages: French, Spanish
Tutoring interests: I like tutoring students in PWR and Political Science courses. I also enjoy helping students with organization and clarity.
I like writing because...  it helps me organize my thoughts and figure out what is that I really want to say.

Molly Vorwerck--Drop-in Tutor
Major/Minor: American Studies major, Creative Writing minor
Class Year: 2014
Tutoring interests: Although I enjoy tutoring in all sorts of written disciplines, my favorites include IHUM, PWR, English and History. I particularly enjoy the brainstorming and thesis writing process--the early stage of a paper’s development.
Languages: Some Spanish
I like writing because...Ever since I can remember, I’ve had a love affair witht he written word. I love the creativity and originality involved in writing--in my opinion, the truest art form in which I can express my ideas in a way that is conducive to continued exploration and improvement.

Feyi Lawoyin--Drop-in Tutor
STS (CS focus)
Junior/2013
I was a volunteer tutor with EPATT my Freshman year
I'm tutoring because I want to share and promote a medium of thought and expression that I've personally gained a lot from.

Stephanie Nicholson--RWT, Rinconada
Psychology and Human Biology
2013
Tutoring interests: IHUM and PWR, psychology (especially Psych One).
Foreign languages: some Spanish
I like writing because there's no right answer, everyone is different, and there's always room to grow.

Jaslyn Law--Drop-in Tutor
MS Candidate in Earth Systems, Major in Earth Systems, Minor in Creative Writing
 Coterm
Tutoring interests/experience: This is my fourth year tutoring at the Hume Writing Center. I particularly enjoy working with students on  PWR papers, personal statements, and more "techie" papers and reports.
Foreign languages: Spanish
I like writing because: of the satisfaction of using up all the ink in a ballpoint pen.

Laura  Malkiewich--Drop-in Tutor
Psychology
class year: Senior
tutoring interest/experience: I have tutored mostly elementary school and middle school students. I am used to privately tutoring students and seeing the same students from week to week. Even though I have tutoring experience in math and writing, I prefer tutoring writing because I feel that it is more dynamic. I love tutoring students in writing because I feel that many students don't understand their own strengths and when they talk to someone else they realize something about themselves. I always love hearing what other students are writing about and watching them work through problems in their writing.
foreign languages: Spanish, French
I like writing because: I can express what I feel and think clearly to someone else. I feel writing is the only medium where I can explicitly describe what I want, mean, or feel and make another person understand or empathize with my arguments or goals. Also writing just makes me happy.

Sophi Newman --RWT, Roble
American Studies major
Creative writing minor (prose)
Studio Art minor (photo)
Junior (2013)
I speak Spanish decently well :)
I specialize in all things American, from history to literature to art history. I thoroughly enjoyed the   PWR series, so I love talking about critical theory, presentations, and rhetoric. I'm also a huge aficionado of creative writing, and discussing poetry, creative nonfiction, and fiction is always a treat!

Jasmine Ragland--RWT, Casa Zapata, and Peer Tutor Coordinator
Major/minor: Human Biology major with a concentration in Adolescent Development, Creative Writing Minor
Class Year: 2013
Tutoring interest/experience: I especially like working with personal statements, persuasive essays, and argumentative essays.
I like writing because it is so interesting! No writers work is the same, and I feel that I learn something new from each person I tutor. It is an intensely personal experience.

Rachel Coleman--RWT, Toyon
Undecided major
2014
Experience/interest: rhetoric of interfaith dialogue, and rhetoric of gender.
Foreign language: conversational Spanish
Why I like writing: I love the quest for clarity, for clear articulation. I find writing to be my favorite medium of expression because it forces me to engage with the world around me; the act of putting pen to paper often frees me from the clouds of my daydreams.

Rachel Kolb--Drop-in Tutor
Major/minor: English major (with creative writing emphasis), Human Biology minor
Class year: Senior (class of 2012)
Tutoring interest/experience: I enjoy tutoring English literature papers, text-based arguments, and close-reading analyses, although I'm up for anything. This is my first year as a peer writing tutor.
Foreign languages: American Sign Language. I also took three years of Latin in high school.
I like writing because it is a passageway to discovering and expressing new ideas and unexpected conclusions. On a fundamental level, I also enjoy the challenge of piecing words together on the  page.

Carolyn Chiu--Drop-in Tutor
 Major: Linguistics
Minors: Psychology, Dance
Class year: Junior, Class of 2013
Tutoring experience: Previously the Resident Writing Tutor in Freshman Sophomore College
Foreign Languages: Spanish
Why I am interested in writing: Language, along with gesture, is the basis of human communication and thus a fundamental part of life. In my coursework in the Linguistics  department, I study spoken language and the constructs, rules, and purposes of oral interactions between people. By tutoring in writing, I am able to think about language from a different perspective--through the written word. This change of perspective refreshes my study of language and provides a new dimension through which to observe how linguistic communication works. One thing I love about writing is the ability for readers to "hear" a writer's unique voice through the written words.

Kevin Jordan--RWT, Cedro
English with an Inter-disciplinary focus in Justice
Year: 2013
Experience/Interest: My interests mainly are in rhetorical analysis essays and helping students develop critical thinking strategies. My main experience is with  IHUM, PWR, and English papers.
Foreign Languages: American Sign Language
Why Like Writing: I enjoy writing because it is a process that I can continue to get better at without worrying about perfection. Writing allows me to have my ideas expressed in a manner that I feel most clear and efficient for me.

Michael Silverman--RWT, Otero
Management Science & Engineering
2013
Prior writing/math tutoring experience
I am really interested in giving back. My English teacher my junior year in high school helped me enormously with my writing and helped me reach the next level in my academic career, and I would like to do the same for my freshman in Otero in Wilbur.
Foreign languages - just started learning Spanish here at Stanford.
Why I Enjoy Writing:
Writing allows me the complete freedom to say what I am thinking with no repercussions and no inhibitions. I can speak honestly to myself, and eventually gather my thoughts into a form suitable for public consumption  that is appropriate to whatever audience I am trying to reach.

Elena  Ayala-Hurtado--Drop-in Tutor
Undecided, probably English and/or Sociology
Class Year: 2014
Tutoring interests/experience: I am interested in tutoring all kinds of writing. In the past, I've tutored various students in writing and math, and have also tutored adults in Spanish.
Foreign Languages: Spanish (nearly fluent)
Why I like writing: I like writing because it enables me to work on my ideas to express thoughts as clearly as I can so that others can understand them as well.

Esther Oh--RWT, Soto
Sociology (potentially!)
Class year: 2013 (Junior)
Tutoring interests/experience: I enjoy tutoring all types of writing, from IHUM to writing in the major papers.
Foreign language: French
Why you like writing: Writing is, at its root, just another form of communication. I enjoy writing because it's a skill that is mandatory across all the disciplines - whether you're a math major or a literature major, you need to have strong writing skills in order to succeed in your field. Besides the broad application of writing, I also love the mental act of writing. It is freeing, fun and can help you crystalize your ideas ... plus, it also gives you an excuse to hang out in coffee shops!

Sarah Weston--RWT, FloMo
Major: English with an emphasis in literature
Class year: Sophomore
Tutoring interest/experience: I have helped my friends with editing their essays and resumes. I also hope to get involved in tutoring for the Hope House this year. The Hope House is a rehab  centre for women; several professors go to teach a mini-class there, and Hope House tutors help the women there with their writing.
Foreign languages I know: French, Latin, Serbo-Croatian
I like writing because...: I like writing and I look forward to helping other people with their writing because I am a firm believer in the idea that we can improve our writing by working together. Each person has their own style, and I think that being able to tutor is an invaluable experience for me - to be able to see different styles of writing.

Tenyia Lee--Drop-in Tutor and Peer Tutor Coordinator
Major: English, Creative writing
Class year: 2012 (senior & co-term)
Tutoring experience/interests: This will be my third year tutoring with the Hume Writing Center. One of those years I spent as a Resident Writing Tutor in Twain. I have extensive experience working with IHUM and PWR students, but I love tutoring papers in any and all subjects. For me, tutoring is a wonderful way to learn about new topics and to get a glimpse of all the amazing research happening on campus. So I would love to talk to you about whatever you are working on!
Foreign languages: Chinese (Mandarin), basic French
I like writing because...there is something magical about crafting something out of nothing, of taking a mere idea and committing it in words. The process of writing for me is a process of creation. I also love that when I write, my pen seems to know things about me that I do not know myself. That is to say, I find it amazing that the act of writing my way through something can take me to new levels of understanding and give me greater distance and clarity on my own thoughts and ideas.