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Writing Center
Meet Our Tutors
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Emma Baumgartel ’21
Majors:
Psychology and English
Academic Interests:
Childhood development, mental illness, counseling/therapy, English/American literature, creative writing, film and cinema studies, music in any genre, astronomy, art.
Leadership and Involvement:
Editor for Inter-Text social science journal, Dean’s List.
Tutoring Philosophy:
I always see the value in different ideas and unique writing styles, because there isn’t one “right” way to write, and nobody’s writing is perfect. There’s always room for improvement! “As long as you’re learning, you’re not failing.”-Bob Ross
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Jonathan Call ’20
Majors:
English and Education
Academic interests:
Film, Creative Writing, Playwriting, Journalism, Secondary Education, and American Literature.
Leadership and Involvement:
WMXM, Alpha Tau Omega (ATO) Secretary, Stentor Editing staff, Tusitala contributor, and the Dean’s List.
Tutoring Philosophy:
The worst thing about writing is looking at a blank document and watching the cursor blink on and off. I want to help clients ease through that stage and feel satisfied with what they put on the page.
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Sarah Coffman ’21
Majors:
History and African American Studies
Academic Interests:
African American history, the Revolutionary War, educational inequity, Thomas Jefferson, evolution of descriptions of the black experience in African American literature, the persistence and progression of black stereotypes
Leadership and Involvement:
Presidential Scholarship, Richter Scholar (2018), Production Assistant and Editor for Inter-Text: An Undergraduate Journal for Social Sciences and Humanities, Research Assistant for Dr. Rudi Batzell (history department), Graduate School Exploration Fellowship Qualifier, Alpha Phi Omega, Dean’s List
Tutoring Philosophy:
I know at least two things about writing: 1) Writing is hard and 2) Writing is personal. Writing is so difficult because of its personal nature: We are conveying our personal thoughts and ideas in a way that makes sense to us, but our thoughts may not be obvious or apparent when someone else reads our work. My goal as a tutor is to help clients harness and engage with their authorial voices in ways that all readers can understand.
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Claire Grebner ’20
Major:
Sociology & Anthropology and Politics
Leadership and Involvement:
Alpha Phi Omega, Zumba and fitness classes; Secretary of Alpha Phi Omega
Academic Interests:
Spanish language and culture, film and cinema studies, contemporary social issues, linguistic studies
Tutoring Philosophy:
I tutor because I know the difficulties associated with writing. If I can assist at all in taking away some of the stress of writing, I will do my best to do so. Writing is applicable to almost any academic discipline, so knowing how to write is an essential skill that tutors can help develop and bring out in other writers. I want my clients to leave with a heightened sense of confidence after working with me. I want them to see me as a writing buddy who is on their side. I always try to incorporate a little bit of fun into my sessions to make writing seem less like a scary hurdle but more like a task they can conquer and excel in.
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Sangjun Hornewer ’20
Major:
Communication
Minors:
Journalism and Spanish
Academic interests:
Journalism, mass media, news media, intersectionality in media studies, and the Spanish language.
Leadership and Involvement:
Editor-in-chief of The Stentor, Women’s Varsity Soccer, Lambda Pi Eta National Communication HonorSociety, Presidential Scholarship, and the Dean’s List.
Tutoring Philosophy:
I am a firm believer that people learn the most and perform at their best when they enjoy what they are doing. Working with professors and other tutors one-on-one helps personalize the experience, and because of these interactions, I have learned to embrace and enjoy the writing process. I strive to tutor in a way that is both productive and fun while conveying the complexities of writing in an unintimidating way.
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Ani Karagianis ’20
Majors:
History and Sociology and Anthropology
Academic interests:
Cultural history (films, music, and “celebrities” of yesteryear), Tudor-era English history, forensics, childhood development, medical anthropology, language/linguistics, and archaeology.
Leadership and Involvement:
Varsity Swim and Dive Team, Richter Scholar (2017), Presidential Scholarship, Chicago Fellows Research, Dean’s List, Forester All-Sportsmanship Team (2016-2017), Forester Athletic Team (2017-2018), and Academic All-Conference.
Tutoring Philosophy:
I struggled with having confidence concerning my writing until I arrived on campus. Now, I hope to instill confidence in the clients that I see. I hope to do that through positive reinforcement and open lines of communication. It is the clients that are in control, and I merely help them along the way.
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Zach Klein ’21
Majors:
International Relations and Economics
Academic interests:
International and domestic politics, world history, Islamic culture, and Arabic language
Leadership and involvement:
Model United Nations, Debate, Inter-text, Demos, and Lambda Chi Alpha
Tutoring Philosophy:
As Mark Twain once said, “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.” Words matter in writing just as much as in speech. A piece of writing can tell you what the author believes and who the author is. With this in mind, it is imperative that authors present themselves to readers to the best of their ability.
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Katy Maksymiu’20
Major:
History, Politics minor
Academic Interests:
Roman history, 20th Century history, European history, American domestic politics, creative writing
Leadership and Involvement:
Presidential scholarship, Dean’s List, Student Symposium presenter (2019), water polo
Tutoring Philosophy:
Writing can be a very difficult (and sometimes painful) process, but I’ve always found the end result to be super rewarding. My goal as a tutor is to help clients navigate this difficult process in whatever way they need, teach that writing is one of the more effective ways to learn and communicate ideas, and assist them in creating an end product they will be proud of.
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Sydney Mudd ’20
Major:
Philosophy
Academic Interests:
Social and Political Philosophy, Legal Studies, Philosophy of Gender and Sexuality, Queer Theory, Phenomenology, Intersectional Feminism
Leadership and Involvement:
Pride Alliance, Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship, Victory Institute Congressional Intern
Tutoring Philosophy:
Although the process of writing can be difficult, I find comfort in it insofar as it gives me the opportunity to express myself – even when the writing is strictly academic. During my sessions, I hope to create a comfortable environment for my clients to work in so as to help them find solace in the writing process, just as I do.
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Uche Okeke ’21
Majors:
International Relations & Business, History minor
Academic Interests:
Politics, global development, marketing, entrepreneurship, contemporary social issues, history, and film.
Leadership and Involvement:
Umoja, CASM, Richter Scholar, Admissions Ambassador, Forester Guide, Model U.N., Peer Navigator
Tutoring Philosophy:
As with all things in life, you need practice to become a good writer. I tutor because I know how daunting writing a paper can be, and I also know how scary it can be to ask for help. My goal as a tutor is to create an environment where clients feel safe and comfortable to make mistakes and learn from them. Even though I have the “tutor” title, I am in no way a perfect writer and it’s my hope to make my clients feel as if we’re learning and writing together.
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Whitley Pleas ’22
Major:
Undecided
Academic Interests:
Legal studies, constitutional law, global politics, marketing, and literature.
Leadership and Involvement:
Richter Scholar 2019, The Inversions acapella group, Concert Choir, Chamber Choir, Presidential scholarship
Tutoring Philosophy:
I have always loved writing rather than speaking because I feel that it gives me a voice and a platform to openly express my ideas with confidence and work on developing them further. Therefore, I believe that every student should take advantage of writing’s ability to foster critical thinking and academic growth. My favorite part of tutoring is hearing different perspectives that emerge through students’ writing.
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Rebecca Reitemeier ’20
Major:
English Writing
Academic Interests:
Creative Writing, Print and Digital Publishing, Studio Art, Environmental Studies.
Leadership and Involvement:
Tusitala, Women’s Choir, League for Environmental Advocacy and Protection (LEAP), Students for Women’s Awareness Network (SWAN), WMXM 88.9 DJ, Presidential Scholar.
Tutoring Philosophy:
As the chef says in Disney’s Ratatouille, “Anyone can cook.” I think this also applies to writing; anyone can write. Being able to communicate ideas clearly and efficiently is a vital part of life in a digital age, so I hope to help my peers hone their writing skills so that they can leave LFC feeling like they have all the tools and confidence they need to share their ideas and experiences with the wider world.
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Sawyer Shepard ’20
Majors:
Economics and Philosophy
Academic Interests:
Macroeconomics, Spinoza’s Metaphysics and Ethics, Aristotle’s Ethics, Plato’s Epistemology, Social and Moral Costs of Social-Media, Classical Theory of Economics, Keynesian Theory of Economics, Utilitarianism Ethical Theory in Economic Policy.
Leadership and Involvement:
Dean’s List, Student Symposium Presenter, Presidential Scholarship, Student Academic Advisory Board Member for Philosophy.
Tutoring Philosophy:
Writing is essential for making arguments and presenting ideas to the world. I believe everyone has something interesting to say. By working to improve the writing of my clients, I hope to also help them in exhibiting their talents and passions.
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Basia Urban ’22
Major:
Undecided
Academic Interests:
Ancient Literature, Ethics, American Politics, Biology, Environmental Science, Creative Writing
Leadership and Involvement:
Presidential Scholarship, FMSC volunteering
Tutoring Philosophy:
Writing is one of the best ways people can express themselves, and my goal as a tutor is to help students find their voices so they can do just that. You wouldn’t believe how many students come in with an inspiring message to share and just need a little help communicating it! Everyone deserves to be able to bring their ideas into the world through writing, and it is my mission to make sure that everyone I work with takes something away from the Writing Center that they can use throughout their whole journey as a writer.
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Braden Wallenkamp ’21
Major:
Environmental Studies
Academic interests:
Urban studies, The Environmental Justice movement, conservation and restoration, Environmental Literature.
Leadership and Involvement:
League of Environmental Advocacy and Protection (LEAP)- Leadership Team, WMXM radio, Restoration Worker, Sonnenschein and Albright Gallery Greeter.
Tutor Philosophy:
It’s important for me to help any client I work with feel confident about their writing. My goal as a tutor is to help people express on paper the ideas in their heads. I want to help clients know the joy of completing a draft they can be proud of.
How about a tutor in my major?
Communication — Sangjun
Economics — Sawyer, Uche, Zach
Education —Jon
English — Rebecca, Jon, Emma
Environmental Studies — Braden
History — Ani, Sarah
Politics — Claire, Katy M.
Sociology and Anthropology — Claire, Ani
Psychology –– Emma
Philosophy –– Sydney, Sawyer