University of Connecticut - Writing Center

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University Writing Center
University of Connecticut
368 Fairfield Road, Unit 2168
Storrs, CT 06269-2168

Phone: 860.486.4387

Hours and tutoring appointments

Tom Deans, Director
CUE 101; 860.486.2807
Tom.Deans@uconn.edu

Kathleen Tonry, Associate Director
CUE 125; 860.486.2419
Kathleen.Tonry@uconn.edu

The University Writing Center is part of the Institute for Teaching and Learning.

Tutors

Katrina Bafumi ( undergraduate — English )

Katrina first got involved with the Writing Center when she started working as a volunteer tutor at Hartford Public High School through one of the University's outreach programs. Originally from Meriden CT, she enjoys working with students and eventually aims to teach High School English. Her devotion to teaching is apparent when you look at her previous experiences. She has tutored at Mansfield Middle School, has been an FYE mentor, and also acted as a KUBE mentor through the Asian American Cultural Center. When school is out she staffs summer camps, something she has done since high school. What most attracted her to the Hartford Public High program was the idea of a writing room, a place where students had the opportunity to meet and talk with other writers. That experience ultimately led Katrina to her current position as writing associate at the Writing Center.

As a Secondary English Education major, Katrina has always enjoyed both teaching and learning, and especially enjoys writing because, in her own words, "it provides me with an opportunity to express myself with clarity, an option I don't always have through the spoken word". As a result, she has kept a personal journal since elementary school. Creative writing is an interest that she would like to explore while working with the Writing Center. But in the meanwhile, outside the Writing Center, you may find Katrina playing intramural soccer and flag-football, activities she has participated in for the last three years, or just enjoying a run around campus.

Tess Bird ( undergraduate — Women's Studies )

The WC ŒZine, a collection of creative writing pieces contributed by Writing Center tutors began as a way to build internal community, says Tess. Tess, in her 7th semester at UConn, was one of the founders of this literary venture. According to Tess, who is a Women Studies major and Anthropology minor, the magazine serves as a conduit to engage tutors as writers. This is the third year that Tess is working as a tutor, and she has already begun to compile works for a new issue of the ŒZine with co-tutor Matt DeFeo. When asked to describe her most memorable experiences with the Center, her face lights up. "We presented on the ŒZine at the New England Writing Center Association Conference two years ago," she says.
"That was an incredible experience, especially because the 'zine was so well-received. We kept getting questions about how other Centers could go about making their own versions."

Tess has a real love for language as an art form. This manifests itself in a passion for creative writing. Some of her best tutoring sessions have been spent discussing creative works with peers, although this type of session is not terribly commonplace. Tess is, nonetheless, delighted when they do occur. For this tutor, it is both the act of writing creatively and sharing in conversation about writing that sparks a literary fire.

Shan-Estelle Brown ( graduate-PhD — Anthropology )

Shan-Estelle, a trained dancer, writer, and anthropologist, has worked as a tutor in a variety of settings, including helping elementary school children with their class work, high school students prepare for the SATs, and young adults study for the GREs. What she loves most about her experiences both as a tutor and a teacher is witnessing “the light bulb go off” for the students with whom she works. Knowing that a student has worked something out during the tutoring process is a rewarding experience for Shan-Estelle, one that “makes her day meaningful.”

Born in Connecticut, Shan-Estelle has lived all over the U.S., spending time in Hawaii, Texas, and Virginia before coming back to Connecticut to attend Yale University where she earned her B.A. in Humanities. She also has an M.A. in English with an emphasis in Professional Writing. She is currently working on her PhD in Anthropology, a field of study that incorporates her interests in both science and liberal arts and provides the opportunity to pursue her love of languages, travel, writing, and working with diverse populations.

In the future, Shan-Estelle hopes to pursue a career in applied Medical Anthropology, ideally as an anthropologist in residence for an organization such as Operation Smile. In the meantime though, you can find her on campus teaching Anthropology classes, working with the Writing Center, and dancing whenever and wherever she can.

Mary Burke ( graduate — Sociology )

When not sleeping, Mary is hard at work at the Writing Center. While she has a background in English, she graduated from Western Connecticut State University with a degree in sociology because it “reflects the way I think about the world. It’s critical of everyday life and asks why people do the things that they do.” Her research interests include social movements, gender and sexualities, medicine and the media, and queer politics and activism. She also joined the Women’s Studies department last year and teaches classes in both departments. “W classes are my favorite to teach,” she says, because students seem to get more out of writing and the classes are smaller. Mary is funny and smiles easily, especially when talking about biking around campus, reading fiction, vegan baking, or knitting. She may be great at multi-tasking, but admits she can’t possibly do all these things at the same time.

Kristina Catanese ( undergraduate — Ecology and Evolutionary Biology )

Kristina is a talented student who is fulfilling her desire to be a helpful individual. On the global scale, this Ecology and Evolutionary Biology major traveled to Costa Rica during Summer 2007. Kristina spent the rainy season tagging and tracking wild monkeys in a study that hopes to identify seed dispersal in Howler, Spider, and White-Faced monkeys living in old-growth primary forest. Her dedication to the natural world is obvious when one considers that she is simultaneously working to complete her Bachelor's of Science, her English Minor, and her Master's Degree in Biodiversity and Conservation Biology.

A friendly and accomplished student, Kristina took the initiative to find yet another community where her talents could benefit others. One science professor only mentioned the Writing Center, and Kristina's personal commitment to positive change and her love of writing gave her the motivation to apply to the Writing Center community. Excited about being part of our new staff of Associates, she is "looking forward to balancing listening with guidance" while working with writers in our one-on-one tutoring sessions. Most of all, Kristina is happy to be present, and a part of, when others succeed.

Jean Crawford ( graduate — Linguistics )

Jean is a graduate student in linguistics, and is starting her third
year as a graduate associate at the Writing Center. She has
experience teaching ESL in both community and workspace programs, and
she enjoys teaching and tutoring non-native speakers of English.

Jean is a native of both Detroit, MI and Atlanta, GA. She completed
her undergraduate in International Business and Finance at the
University of Georgia, with a minor in French. After college, she
was in the Peace Corps in Mali, West Africa, where she was a small
business development volunteer. Since returning from Mali in 2000,
she has been pursuing graduate studies in Linguistics. One of Jean's
favorite things about being a linguist is getting to go where the
languages are.

A West African proverb that she thinks applies to the writing process
is: "little by little, the bird builds its nest". Jean is
naturally a procrastinator, but now that she is a graduate student
and writing research papers for a living, she has to fight the urge
to put writing assignments off until the last minute and then pull
all-nighters. She hopes to share with students the idea of writing
and revising as being a single, continual process.

Matthew DeFeo ( undergraduate — English Journalism )

This this is Matt's second year as a tutor and the fourth overall at the Writing Center. This makes him the tutor who's been with he Center the longest, as he started his first semester freshman year as a receptionist. "I was promoted," he says jokingly, describing his happy transition to a tutoring role. Besides working one-on-one with peers, he is also helping to assemble this semester's ŒZine with Tess Bird. The ŒZine is a literary magazine especially meant for the creative works of Writing Center tutors, and was begun two years ago. As a senior-year journalism/English major, this Boston native has always loved to write. Naturally, his greatest interest lies in news writing. It is his ambition to translate this love into a career as a pop culture magazine writer.

In addition to writing, Matt loves to read and thoroughly enjoys being an English major. He especially loves to tutor because it allows him to discuss works he's already studied and learn about new ones. Not that he likes tutoring English papers more than any other. He's fond of all disciplines equally!

In what other ways does Matt think that tutoring for the Center will improve him? By seeing all different types of writing, he reflects, your own will naturally tend to improve. He believes that techniques that come in handy when tutoring his peers might also prove useful when they are self-applied. "The very best method I've learned here is to read the paper aloud," a great piece of advice that can be appreciated by writers of all styles.

Bryan Doyon ( graduate — Business )

Since a young age, Bryan has loved to read almost anything he can get his hands on. Though he pursued a mechanical engineering degree in his undergraduate career at Syracuse, he still found the time to read, often taking a literature course in addition to his regular course load. “My peers in engineering would see me reading some novel and ask what it was for, and when I told them I took a lit class on the side, they would often look at me as if to say ‘Why?’.” This love of reading also translated over to a love of writing, and writing fiction has always been a passion of his. “Whenever we had the chance to do anything creative in a class, I always went way overboard with whatever I wrote. But I had fun doing it!”

Leaving engineering behind him, he is now pursuing his Masters in Business Administration at the UConn School of Business. “I’m still an engineer at heart, and think like an engineer in most things I do.” His primary concentration is real estate, a field that interests him immensely and hopes to find a career in commercial lending when he completes his degree in May 2008. Most of the writing he does now is business related or case summaries, but tries to find some free time to work on his own creative writing; a science fiction novel that he’s been developing for several years. “I keep changing things and rewriting earlier or later parts to fit the new plotline. Eventually I’m going to have to stop myself and just write it, but the design and creative process is what I love, so I’m not ready to stop yet. The Writing Center has been great for me though, and really given me a chance to become a better writer all around.”

Nicole Fekete ( undergraduate — English )

Nicole is a true writer at heart; her passion for writing has led her to seek opportunities related to writing both inside and out of school. In high school she tutored writing in troubled children's homes and later worked as part of Project Academic Advancement. Enthralled by the experience, when she learned of the Writing Center, she hoped to become part of the staff so she could have the opportunity to work with her peers. Nicole enjoys creative writing, and hopes to have the opportunity to work with students on it in her future tutoring sessions.

Nicole is an English major with a political science minor. She is still deciding what to do post graduation but is considering law school.
Currently, in her second year as a tutor, she views working at the writing center as a fun but challenging experience.

Andrew Garibay ( undergraduate — English )

“When I went to the Writing Center freshman year,” says Andrew, “I held things back.” To help students ease into the writer’s chair more easily, Andrew makes each session about getting the writer to be him or herself. “I start out with small chat, like ‘Hey, did you see that horrible new movie yet?’” He also tries to make the session and the writing process as enjoyable as possible. “If the writer doesn’t see it as fun, it will be extremely painful.” Andrew hopes, above all, to make every session worthwhile and productive for the writer.

This is Andrew’s first year of tutoring with the Writing Center. He is a junior-year English major who has spent much of his recent time delving into the world of British literature. His true interest lies in modern American literature, though. Eventually, he intends to move on to graduate school, and sees the PhD route on his horizon. Outside of the realm of his major, he is an avid fan of internet gaming, and is involved with several projects related to it. For one of these, he has written an e-book, and describes the process as quite the business expedition. He says that his love of talking and writing led him to the Center, where he could meld the two talents. As a tutor, his experience has been overwhelmingly positive. He sums it up best: “It’s like talking with a friend about a subject, and the author whose work we discuss is like a philosopher with a very tangible point.”

Benjamin Girard-Bond ( graduate-PhD — Linguistics )

Benjamin joins the writing center team for the first time while also beginning his first year as a PhD student in linguistics, a subject which he can’t get enough of. “Everybody speaks—people should know how that works,” said Benjamin. “We take language for granted, but it’s really complex,” he said.

A native of Montreal, Canada, Benjamin is excited to be at UConn. “I love this country,” he said. “I could definitely live here.” Benjamin got his first taste of the U.S. as an undergraduate at Harvard, though a lot of people haven’t heard of the university back home, he said. After college, Ben returned to Canada and worked for two years at an information-technology company, translating documents and manuals between French and English.

Benjamin’s first language is French, and before college, he never wrote an academic paper in English. He relates to writers who use English as a second language, and after learning the language for ten years in grade school, he feels he is good at teaching it to others.

“Native [English] speakers know the rules but don’t always know how to explain them,” said Benjamin. As an ESL specialist at the Writing Center, Benjamin also instructs fellow tutors how to best assist writers whose first language is not English.

When it comes to writing, Benjamin believes sharing papers with friends and getting feedback is the best way to improve. “It’s just a great way to learn,” he said. Benjamin also encourages creating an outline. “The writing process is much harder if you don’t have your ideas written down,” he said.

Zhanna Glushan ( graduate-PhD — Linguistics )

Zhanna Galushan arrived in Connecticut late this summer to begin her PhD studies in Linguistics. A native of northwest Russia, Zhanna has previously completed a Master’s degree in Norway. She comes with quite a wealth of tutoring and teaching experience, and will be a great asset to the Writing Center. She has taught both English and German, and tutored English extensively in Russia. She speaks a grand total of four languages. Zhenna is just beginning to get to know the area, and still counts Boston as one of her unvisited cities. Having dealt with the perpetual darkness of Norwegian winters, Zhanna will undoubtedly have a keen appreciation for the vestiges of sunshine that accompany our southern New England winters.

Her experiences thus far at the CLAS Writing Center have been very pleasant ones, she says. She notes one particular session, during which she had the opportunity to work on a more creative piece. A young man came in with a poem that needed a little something to give it flair. Zhanna says of the experience: “I liked the process of developing the writing with him. And I liked the poem. I just think it came out very well.” Zhanna says that she appreciates the atmosphere of the writing center, and is thankful for its good organization.

Brenna Harvey ( undergraduate — )

Brian Hiller ( graduate-PhD — Ag. and Natural Resources )

Brian was born and raised in upstate New York. After completing a BS in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology at the University of Vermont he spent several years living and working around the US-especially enjoying his time in northern Minnesota where he finished a MS in Environmental Education. A true academic at heart, Brian went on to complete an additional MS in Wildlife Management from UConn in 2006 and is currently pursuing a PhD in the same field. “I’m always learning and I love teaching. Writing is a way to combine my passions for education and the environment, and to share them with others.” An accomplished author, Brian is regularly published in On The Water magazine, a regional New England fishing magazine, and recently sold another article to Fly Rod and Reel, a national fly fishing magazine. Brian’s journalistic expertise has made him the current editor of the Writing Center newsletter, reVisions.

On a more personal note, a minor-league baseball career sent him to Australia where he met his wife, Lainie. When not working, Brian can be found obsessively fishing, hunting, carving decoys, tying flies, or chasing his three sons; twins Zane and Casey, and baby Dashel, around the great outdoors.

Mary Isbell ( graduate-PhD — English )

Mary is a first year PhD student here at UConn, concentrating on Modernism and especially absurdist drama. "Waiting for Godot," anyone? Mary particularly enjoys her work at the Writing Center because she loves working with students one on one. She is no stranger to writer's block in her own writing, and loves to talk out ideas with students and get those blank pages filled up. When she's not procrastinating by watching "Law and Order" marathons, Mary deals with the ridiculous amounts of work we all face as grad students.

Eric Knudsen ( undergraduate — Journalism )

As a journalism student, Eric knows the power and influence of good writing. "It brings down corrupt presidents, exposes injustice and connects people with other worlds," said Eric with enthusiasm. While he doesn't expect everyone to write award-winning papers, Eric believes that anyone can write creatively and effectively if given the right tools.

This is Eric's senior year at the university and first year as a writing tutor, but he has enjoyed helping friends and peers revise their papers since high school. He applied to the Writing Center last semester at the encouragement of a classmate. In addition to learning about new subjects and ideas from students, Eric's favorite part about tutoring is when a student leaves a session not only with a revised paper, but as a changed writer with the knowledge and confidence to build strong papers.

What does Eric think is the secret to being a good writer? "Get excited.
You are uniquely expressing your thoughts and ideas to make people see life in a new way. That's powerful."

Eric Knudsen ( undergraduate — )

Helen Koulidobrova ( graduate — )

Kirstin (Kersey) Lawrence-Apfel ( graduate — Ag. and Natural Resources )

Growing up near the Adirondack Mountains of Northern New York, Kersey was interested in wildlife from an early age. Her interest in tracking animals has progressed to formal training and membership in a variety of professional wildlife and tracking organizations. Her marriage to a Navy submariner, shortly after completing her BS in Wildlife Biology at UConn, resulted in a move to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. While living in Hawaii, Kersey gained valuable wildlife related experience but also learned how important the skilled use of the written word is in scientific endeavors.
“Writing is such an important part of communication. In science, writing extends beyond the scope of traditional essays and research papers to proposals, lab reports, field notes, presentations, and even critical readings. Writing well, like following footprints or anything else, takes time and practice. Words are the tracks of thoughts. The wrong words, or number of words, can overwhelm or lose a thought. Writing has a structure, its trail. Creative writing has a different structure than scientific writing. In either case, awareness of the desired structure is critical to writing well. First, you need to know what is ordinary in order to recognize what is out-of-the-ordinary.”
Kersey is currently working toward a MS in Wildlife Management and has found a practical application for all of her interests, especially the written word, in completing her thesis.

Robert May ( undergraduate — Economics )

Rob is a senior at the Storrs campus and a self-proclaimed Wikipedia addict studying for a B.A. in Economics. He has always been interested in public policy and politics and aside from stints as a rowing instructor and personal trainer the writing process has been a positive constant throughout his work experiences. During the summer of 2006 Rob was involved in drafting energy policy statements for the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management. He spent the following fall semester interning in Washington, D.C. for the U.S. House of Representatives. This summer, he completed an internship managing a sales database for a middle-market private equity group in Greenwich. Rob came out of his internships with great skills in researching and drafting official documents quickly and creatively.

Rob developed an interest in tutoring while volunteering as an SAT verbal and writing coach for high school students in Stamford this past summer. During the college prep portion of his job, he was able to have substantial one-on-one face time with young writers. Reflecting on his experience, Rob noted, “You’d be surprised how much people can improve with a little bit of coaching. I only had to say a few things to bring out the real potential in these writers.” Rob is adamant about working only in jobs that allow him to interact with and engage people, and the Writing Center meets that standard. Outside of class and the Writing Center, Rob can usually be found watching T.V. (The West Wing, Entourage, and the Food Network), reading (Tom Wolfe, Michael Crichton, and anything on Slate.com), or trying to find other distractions from writing his honors thesis.

Suegene Noh ( graduate-PhD — Ecology and Evolutionary Biology )

The Writing Center first attracted Suegene when she discovered her interest in the concept of "writing to learn." A PhD candidate in EEB (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology), in her teaching as well as learning experience, Suegene has found that writing about difficult concepts can be the key to understanding. She applies this philosophy to her own research as she studies the evolution of mating signals in European green
lacewings. Suegene enjoys reading both technical and popular writing in science, but notes the general inaccessibility of current scientific knowledge to non-scientists due to the way writing is done within the sciences. Thus, her goal in the Writing Center is partly to explore ways to encourage and emphasize the teaching of writing within the scientific disciplines.

One wouldn’t pin Suegene as an avid writer based on her major. Her outside interests aren’t a tip-off either. Apart from her research endeavors, Suegene also enjoys textile-related crafts and plays the violin. When asked what she likes best about writing, Suegene responds that she appreciates writing as “a conversation with yourself on paper.” Truly Suegene’s work in the Writing Center proves her mutual devotion to the sciences, learning, and writing.

Bethany Ober ( undergraduate — English, Religious Studies )

Back from a summer study-abroad program in Florence, Italy, Bethany brings a sunny smile to the writing center in her first year as a writing associate. As a senior double major in English and Religious Studies, Bethany enjoys curling up with Jane Austen novels, training for Relay for Life races, and—no joke—giving blood. This year, Bethany's mind is often on the future. She's applying to English graduate school programs with an aim to teach in a private high school or college. Bethany believes that working in the writing center will make her a better writer and a better teacher.

Bethany has experience working as a conversation partner with Turkish ESOL students and as a C.A. for honors students. She also admits that she can relate to students who finish their papers at the last minute. As a writing associate, she wants to become "more conscious of the writing process" and to talk with fellow students about how they can do the same. Bethany's eager to discuss how we writers "approach topics, before we even start writing."

Dimpi Parikh ( undergraduate — Biology & IMJR: Cross-cultural Health Sciences )

Although both of Dimpi's majors are in the sciences, she is a natural poet. It can be anticipated that her work will appear in the ŒZine, a collection of creative works by Writing Center staff. This tutor, now in her senior year, has managed to fit in an English minor along with a double major in biological sciences and cross-cultural health sciences.
Thus, she has the best of both the scientific and the literary worlds. She will continue to pursue a degree in science by attending a naturopathic school, and one day anticipates being a doctor of alternative medicine.

"My best experience as a tutor thus far is probably the very first day that I worked here" Dimpi says. "Someone came in with a personal statement for a medical school application. This student was aware that he had to personalize his work more. By bouncing ideas off of each other, we were able to get him to the point where he was able to do that. I think that he felt confident walking out of the Writing Center." This is the confidence that tutors hope to draw out of students, the self-trust that enables writers to look honestly at their work.

Adrien Paulsen ( — )

Caroline Platkiewicz ( undergraduate — IMJR: International Relations )

Since her first visit to the UCONN Writing Center during her freshman year, Caroline has felt its appeal. “I liked the whole feel of it, the atmosphere there.” Now in her new role as a tutor, she has the opportunity to help create that feel for other students. Caroline studies international relations as designed by the individualized majors program. Now in her junior year, she will spend the spring semester abroad in Copenhagen, and will be taking the Foreign Service Officer Exam in the near future.

This may be her first semester at the WC, but she has already felt the satisfaction of guiding students to better writing. According to Caroline, there is nothing like witnessing the moment “when students begin to find their own way through an assignment.” Caroline has honed her writing skills in some mainstream, some unique ways. “I’m always applying for scholarships, so I write lots of essays for those,” she says. As an editor, she has proven invaluable to her friends. This does not mean that she hasn’t encountered challenges. It can be difficult to offer guidance when students lack comprehension of what they have read, or when they don’t understand the assignment itself. But then there are those times, says Caroline “when an assignment just clicks into place.” That is a satisfying moment any tutor can appreciate.

David Portnoy ( graduate-PhD — Psychology )

For David Portnoy, the tutoring experience is as helpful for the tutor as it is for the individual seeking guidance. “Through the work of others,” he says, “I can find ways to improve my own writing.” This seasoned PhD candidate has worked as a teaching assistant for several psychology courses over the course of his graduate studies. He has had ample opportunities to work with students in one-on-one and classroom situations. “I assisted with one research methods course that was both a W and a qualitative (Q) course. That was very intense.” Currently, David is the TA for an introductory psychology course. As a first-year tutor at the Center, he seems especially well-equipped to work with undergraduates from his home department.

As part of his graduate assistantship with the Center, David is creating an archive of writing materials gathered from instructors in the Psychology Department. He has been speaking with individual professors about their modes of teaching writing. Of especial interest to him is pinpointing what they seek from students. In addition, he is writing sample assignments that will be used in test-runs by instructors in the Psychology Department.

Jason Rich ( graduate-PhD — Political Science )

A long time veteran of the Writing Center, Jason is in his third year with us as he works on his Doctorate in international relations and comparative politics. Finding enjoyment in the analytical and theoretical perspectives of his chosen field, Jason is always ready for a good discussion and debate (and feels that these topics are stimulating to many people on many levels). His dissertation is about military coercion, and with war being a hot topic these days, he is fascinated by the causes of war. Outside of his doctorate, however, Jason’s interests are far from warlike. The peace of the links calls to him and you can often find him enjoying a round of golf on a sunny weekend. When the sun goes down movies occupy his interest. “There are few things I enjoy better than seeing a good movie.”

Aspiring towards an academic career, the idea of working with students to improve their writing appealed to Jason, and is something he is proud to add this to his background and experience. “Don’t spend too long on grammar and sentence structure,” he warns new tutors. “Faculty are more concerned with the information and the ideas.” If its an argument paper, he believes that making the student point out their thesis and be responsible for their ideas is important. The best thing about the Writing Center, he believes, is having initially confused students leave with greater confidence in their work. Making an immediate impact and a lasting difference in their writing is why he works with the center.

Annette Russell ( undergraduate — )

Monoswita Saha ( undergraduate — English, Economics )

Monoswita comes to the Writing Center with an enviably diverse background. She is an avid traveler and has lived in four states. To conduct research for her University Scholar project, “Garaam Chai and Starbucks Coffee: Voices of Globalization,” she journeyed to South Asia to conduct face-to-face interviews with rural Indians about the local effects of globalization. While working on campus at the Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis, Monoswita compiled literature reviews and collaborated with staff to write official CCEA releases. A stint as a conversational English instructor gave her exposure to English acquisition at all levels, and research assistantships in economics and biology have honed her ability to create and recognize effective writing. “I have always struggled to make a specialized topic interesting and relevant to a general audience without losing the technical aspects,” she remarks.

Monoswita’s dream job would be to get paid to travel and experience new cultures, like the author-chef Anthony Bourdain of the Travel Channel. “Nothing excites me more than the prospect of traveling to new places, meeting new people, and learning about their perspectives. I love crazy situations,” she says. Ideally she would like to spend all of her free time outdoors. Monoswita is president of the UConn Writing and Literature club, a venue for students interested in poetry, plays, independent films, and other works to discuss their favorite pieces and share their own creative writing. When asked about her new job as tutor she says “I always find myself in a love-hate relationship with writing. The Writing Center felt like the right place to be.”

Josh Scheid ( undergraduate — Accounting )

Josh has always had an interest in numbers and the movement of money. This led him to choose accounting as his major, though he had originally come to UCONN as a coaching and administration student. Someday Josh hopes to follow through with this idea and coach high school sports. How does someone more numbers-oriented become a tutor in the Writing Center? Josh had tutored while in high school, and during his freshman year at UCONN he received a recommendation to the Writing Center because of his writing ability. Interested in taking on a new challenge, Josh joined and is now in his 4th semester with the Center.

As a veteran tutor at the Writing Center, Josh has seen his share of good and bad appointments come through the door. It can be difficult, he says, when “people don’t learn and keep coming back with the same problems again.” He really enjoys his job when he makes a connection with students. During his first semester he recalls one appointment where the student came in with a paper that he worried would be an uncomfortable situation for both of them, but things worked out. He remembers it as one of his best experiences.

Jaclyn Sheltry ( undergraduate — Political Science & IMJR: International Relations )

Jaclyn is a political science and international relations major who is also a poet on the side. The work that she read at a poetry reading last year must have made an impression, because Associate Director Kathleen Tonry approached Jaclyn about a tutoring position immediately following. Jaclyn used to be a comparative literature major, and says that her reading interests lie in the realms of foreign literature. This also ties in to her goal of serving the country abroad as a member of the Peace Corps, a job that she hopes will lead her to eventual employment by the State Department of the UN. “I want to work in refugee relief,” she says with conviction. Her calm demeanor and clear tone manifest an air of confidence that will undoubtedly take her in the direction of that dream.

Reverse outlining has proven to be an especially effective method during Jaclyn’s tutoring sessions. “It is helpful to have students talk about the specific goals that they have in mind,” she says. This gives a tutoring session a guiding focal point. Jaclyn has encountered a few challenges and surprises during the first months of tutoring. Several graduate students have come to her with chapters of their dissertations. Although these meetings have been slightly daunting, it is clear that Jaclyn has come through them successfully. She recently had the opportunity to work with a non-native speaker who had lost much of her language ability after an accident. By taking the time to get to know this student, Jaclyn was able to draw her into conversation about her writing. “By the end of the session, she was able to talk about it. She wasn’t as hesitant to express her thoughts in her non-native language.” After all, enabling writers to communicate ideas through effective writing is one of our main goals as tutors.

Lydia Smith ( undergraduate — English )

A new addition to the Writing Center, Lydia is thrilled to have a job where she “is able to use (her) brain!” She will be doing just that as she helps students break down the writing process. Lydia admits that not only is she eager to help her peers, but she anticipates learning from them as well. The opportunity to work with all different types of writers who have their own styles will invariably “make me a better writer too,” says
Lydia.

As a junior majoring in English with a minor in psychology, Lydia also writes the weekly news script for UCTV. Aware of what’s going on in the world and interested in what makes people “tick,” Lydia is an open minded and attentive individual. Good natured and very approachable, she will be an asset to the Writing Center community this year!

Caitlin Smith ( undergraduate — English, Art History )

Caitlin returns for her second semester with the Writing Center after studying abroad in Paris last spring. As a senior English and Art History double major, Caitlin’s love of art and Parisian culture brought her to the city where she spent an eventful semester exploring museums and traveling around Europe. She had such a great experience that she is already planning her next excursion; this time to Florence, Italy, to
complete her Art History degree.

Chatty and enthusiastic, Caitlin feels that promoting conversation and being a good listener are some of the most important qualities of being a writing associate. Last fall she participated in the Hartford High outreach program where along with several other tutors, she worked with high school seniors to improve their writing. She is "looking forward to being back at the Writing Center this year!"

Mandy Suhr-Sytsma ( graduate — )

Joe Tarantino ( undergraduate — Education )

Being an education major, the idea of becoming a tutor in the Writing Center seemed like a natural fit to Joe. It is Joe’s aspiration to become a high school English teacher some day, and he knows that the tutoring experience will prove valuable in his career. Helping people is something he likes to do and “the fact that teachers can change their students’ lives and have an important role for their students” are the reasons he wants to become an educator. Outside of school he likes to volunteer and take part in a variety of clubs around campus, and some day he hopes to learn how to write music.

In the Writing Center, Joe has been a common sight for three semesters, and he enjoys every minute of it. Maintaining a proper relationship with people is important, he thinks. He never wants to lose sight that “I’m a student, and they’re a student, so its better to keep things informal.” The best thing that can happen, he feels, is when people come back again either to work on the same paper, or with another assignment. That’s when you really make a difference.

Oksana Tarasenkova ( graduate — )

Aaron Waltzer ( undergraduate — Pharmacy & Art History )

Aaron credits a UConn modern arts class for drawing out his writing craft. “It was one of the most beneficial classes that I’ve ever taken,” he says. For one, it has helped him to realize the power of the written word. “Good writing,” Aaron believes, “is the most effective way to communicate ideas to as many people as possible, in the shortest amount of time possible.”

From an early age, Aaron has worked intensely with people. This New Yorker’s first job was as a dispatcher for a city cab company. His interest in joining the staff at the Writing Center was piqued after hearing of a call for undergraduates with backgrounds in the sciences. As a fourth-year pharmacy and art history student, Aaron draws on several disciplines. Although this is his first year as a tutor, it hasn’t taken him long to develop his own tutoring style. According to Aaron, it’s all about keeping an eye on the assignment goal while at the same time tailoring each session to the needs of the individual student.

Gideon Young ( undergraduate — English )

Gideon is an English major and native speaker who is also fluent in Spanish. His grasp of the second language came from a study abroad program where he lived with a host family in Costa Rica, but his love for the first has always existed. “I worked in a library for eight years before coming to college,” he reveals. Gideon has always found time to read and is currently working his way through some of the classical novels; he recently finished East of Eden and The Secret Agent. As a senior he plans to attend graduate school with a focus in literature and, eventually, to become a college professor. His love of teaching led Gideon to the Writing Center. “I like to be with people when they discover their own capabilities,” Gideon says, acknowledging the partnership in tutoring.

In addition to writing and reading in his spare time, Gideon is a member of the Creative Writing Club. He took a class last year dealing with the business aspects of small magazines, leading to the creation of the Long River Review Journal. Gideon has also made time to volunteer at the Heart House. His semester of interning, during which he ran the “Choices” program, was followed by volunteer work, where Gideon helped out all around the House. Gideon looks forward to adding time at the Writing Center to his busy schedule, and especially anticipates interacting with fellow writers.