OVERVIEW
EDUCATION
M.F.A., Creative Writing (Creative Nonfiction), San Jose State University
Graduating December 2017; GPA 3.97
B.A., English, San Jose State University
Graduated summa cum laude with departmental honors, May 2006
SKILLS
Writing
Editing
Project Management
Teaching
WORK EXPERIENCE
LitWits Workshops, LLC, also dba www.LitWits.com Santa Cruz, CA
Aug 2010-Current
Co-founder and partner - business owner/operator, workshops presenter, curriculum writer; all administration, marketing, and operational roles
IXL Learning, San Mateo, CA Mar 2012-2014
Content writer, language arts - part-time contract position for elementary grades
KnowledgeQuest, Inc., San Jose, CA (408) 323-1544 Oct 2010-Apr 2012
Associate director – part-time administrator and language arts tutor; references available
Stratford Schools, Saratoga, CA Aug 2009-Jun 2010
Substitute teacher – full-time staff position for elementary grades
Metaphor Interiors, San Jose, CA Nov 2007-Aug 2009
Founder and proprietor - interior design services with focus on meaningful, personalized "editing" of small spaces (with small budgets); see portfolio
Masterpiece Editing, www.MasterpieceEditing.com Jul 2006-Aug 2009
Freelance copy editor
San Jose State University, San Jose, CA Nov 2006-Mar 2007
Project Manager – independent contractor reporting to the dean
Minutes & Pennies, San Jose, CA 1992-1995
Owner, writer/editor, publisher - interior design newsletter by subscription, with focus on small spaces, tight budgets, and fast fixes - recognized by The Oprah Winfrey Show
PUBLICATIONS
Please see clips and information about work in process on this website.
Sample selections:
HONORS
Graduate: SJSU, 2010-2017
Undergraduate: SJSU, 2003-2006
AFFILIATIONS
Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society (2004-06)
Golden Key International Honour Society (2004-06)
International Reading Association (current)
Santa Cruz County Reading Association (current)
California Pioneers of Santa Clara County (current)
REFERENCES
Available by request: Letters of recommendation regarding my academic abilities, writing/editing skills, and project management experience from the dean, the director of the honors program, and my notoriously particular grammar professor at SJSU.
Employer and personal references also available upon request. For interior design references, please see my decorating portfolio.
- Published scholar, essayist, and poet; 54,000-word historical biography in circulation
- Summa cum laude English literature graduate with an MFA in creative writing
- Co-founder of successful educational business designing and facilitating experiential literature workshops and "teach the teacher" guides
- Winner of numerous critical and creative writing awards
- Highly commended language arts teacher and tutor
- Founder of interior design firm and publisher of decorating newsletter
- Independent, reliable, perfectionist worker
- Contractor who developed and launched SJSU Writing Center
EDUCATION
M.F.A., Creative Writing (Creative Nonfiction), San Jose State University
Graduating December 2017; GPA 3.97
B.A., English, San Jose State University
Graduated summa cum laude with departmental honors, May 2006
SKILLS
Writing
- Historical book/thesis about Maria Zacarias Bernal Berreyesa - in circulation
- Literature enrichment curriculum for experiential workshops - ongoing
- Language arts content for online curriculum provider
- Published scholarship and essays, poetry
- Awards for critical and creative writing
- Completed juvenile novel, To Catch a Keeper
Editing
- Freelance editing service endorsed by SJSU English professors
- Critiqued numerous term papers (MLA style) for other college students
- Edited university marketing materials
Project Management
- Co-founder and operator of literature workshops business
- Established SJSU Writing Center as an independent contractor
- Wrote, produced and nationally marketed successful independent newsletter
- Completed extensive writing projects, including first novel
- Owned and operated interior design company, managing multiple projects
Teaching
- Develop and present experiential classic literature workshops for K-12 students
- Write and publish “teach the teacher” literature curriculum for sale
- Tutored K-12 students in writing, language arts, and test prep skills
- Taught elementary grades as long-term substitutes
WORK EXPERIENCE
LitWits Workshops, LLC, also dba www.LitWits.com Santa Cruz, CA
Aug 2010-Current
Co-founder and partner - business owner/operator, workshops presenter, curriculum writer; all administration, marketing, and operational roles
IXL Learning, San Mateo, CA Mar 2012-2014
Content writer, language arts - part-time contract position for elementary grades
KnowledgeQuest, Inc., San Jose, CA (408) 323-1544 Oct 2010-Apr 2012
Associate director – part-time administrator and language arts tutor; references available
Stratford Schools, Saratoga, CA Aug 2009-Jun 2010
Substitute teacher – full-time staff position for elementary grades
Metaphor Interiors, San Jose, CA Nov 2007-Aug 2009
Founder and proprietor - interior design services with focus on meaningful, personalized "editing" of small spaces (with small budgets); see portfolio
Masterpiece Editing, www.MasterpieceEditing.com Jul 2006-Aug 2009
Freelance copy editor
San Jose State University, San Jose, CA Nov 2006-Mar 2007
Project Manager – independent contractor reporting to the dean
Minutes & Pennies, San Jose, CA 1992-1995
Owner, writer/editor, publisher - interior design newsletter by subscription, with focus on small spaces, tight budgets, and fast fixes - recognized by The Oprah Winfrey Show
PUBLICATIONS
Please see clips and information about work in process on this website.
Sample selections:
- Academic article, “Strange Showes: Spenser’s Double Vision of Imperial and Papal Vanities,” Studies in Philology, Vol. 105 (2008)
- Travel Essays, “Missing Pieces," BBC Travel (2014), "Love in Venice,” Gadling (2010)
- Personal Essays, “Remains,” Written River (2012), “Seasons,” Reed Magazine: A Journal of Poetry and Prose (2006)
- Poetry, “Convergence,” Ancient Paths (2009), “Degeneration,” Porter Gulch Review (2010)
- Newsletter, Minutes & Pennies (1993-1995)
- Novel, To Catch a Keeper, agent-represented and currently in circulation
HONORS
Graduate: SJSU, 2010-2017
- Bonita M. Cox Award for Medieval and Classical Studies
- Ruth MacLean McGee Award for Outstanding Achievement in Creative Nonfiction
- 3 Phelan Literary Awards for excellence in travel and fiction writing
- Bonita M. Cox Award for Creative Nonfiction
- Marjorie McLaughlin Folendorf Award for Creative Writing
- SJSU’s creative nonfiction nominee for the national 2012 AWP Intro Journals Award
Undergraduate: SJSU, 2003-2006
- 12 Phelan Literary Awards for excellence in critical/creative writing, SJSU (2005-11)
- James O. Wood Shakespeare Award, SJSU (2006)
- Bonita Cox Creative Nonfiction Award, SJSU (2006, 2011)
- Dorrit Sibley Poetry Award, SJSU (2006)
- Josephine Chandler Humanities, SJSU (2005)*
- Catherine Urban Scholarship for excellence in writing, SJSU (2005)
- Robert Holloway Undergraduate Award for excellence in writing, SJSU (2005)
- Two Olympiad of the Arts writing awards, WVC (2003)
- English Department Honors Program, SJSU (2003-06)
- Dean’s Scholar, SJSU (2005-06)
AFFILIATIONS
Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society (2004-06)
Golden Key International Honour Society (2004-06)
International Reading Association (current)
Santa Cruz County Reading Association (current)
California Pioneers of Santa Clara County (current)
REFERENCES
Available by request: Letters of recommendation regarding my academic abilities, writing/editing skills, and project management experience from the dean, the director of the honors program, and my notoriously particular grammar professor at SJSU.
Employer and personal references also available upon request. For interior design references, please see my decorating portfolio.