Jill
I am a licensed English teacher with twenty-plus years of experience as a writer and a writing teacher to high school and college students. I have worked with neurodivergent students, reluctant writers, and English language learners. I enjoy helping hesitant writers wade into uncertain waters and find their voices on the page, and helping high-achieving, highly motivated students step into writing that lets go of perfection and embraces authenticity and vulnerability. I love the self-discovery of the writing process and helping students find the fun in telling their stories and learning about themselves. I also love a good chocolate chip skillet cookie, watching old SNL sketches, and playing bad (like really bad) tennis.
My Story
Personal statements begin with self-discovery. To begin the writing process, I ask students to do a series of exercises that help them identify their character strengths, their values, and their identities. Here are a few of mine...
​
I love learning. My love of learning took me to Miami University and led to a double major in Creative Writing and Communications. After college, I moved to Katowice, Poland, where I taught English for two years while earning my Master's in Education from Framingham State College. I have been teaching and learning ever since. My favorite way to learn is on the move, so my recent preference is for audiobooks and podcasts. My husband jokes that ninety percent of my conversations begin with "I was listening to a podcast the other day..." Whether it's current events, true crime, self-help, comedy, poetry, or parenting, I have a podcast to recommend.
​
I am a big-picture thinker. This is why I love teaching Language Arts. Reading other people's stories teaches us about the world and our place in it. Writing teaches us about ourselves. The best part of being a writing teacher is getting to know my students. I'm interested in your unique story told in your authentic voice, and so are admissions committees. Think you don't have an original story to tell? That's just because you haven't told it yet.
​
I am a mom. Being a mom of three boys has taught me more than anything else I could put on my resume. Years of momming, has filled my bucket with patience, empathy, humility, grace, wisdom, gratitude, creativity, and humor. My stories about motherhood are my favorite ones to tell.
Contact
Email me and we can set up a free consultation call to see if I can help you or your student.