Amanda Forshey ’21

Major:

Biology

Academic interests: 

The human body, the immune response, Spanish and Mexican culture, chemical spectroscopy, modern fiction, 19th century English and American literature, epidemiology, astronomy and the study of stars, and film studies.

Leadership and Involvement: 

Presidential Scholarship, Richter Scholar Program, Scholarship Director and member of Kappa Alpha Theta. 

Tutoring Philosophy: 

In my opinion, everyone has the ability to be a great writer. Every time I tutor, my goal is to show writers where their skills are strong and build their confidence so they can do well on their own. It takes a lot of hard work and many learning experiences, but with time and guidance, everyone can reach their full potential. I always try to bring optimism and encouragement to each session I tutor. 

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.

Caitlin Brown ’18

Majors: 

English and Communication

Academic Interests: Mysticism, social activism in China, South American literature, film composing, 19th-century French poetry, surrealist art movement, 20th-century American literature, and media law.

Leadership and Involvement: Presidential Scholarship, Carnegie Writing Scholarship, Richter Scholar Program, Asian Club, Stentor staff writer, and English department research assistant. 

Tutoring Philosophy: I struggled with writing in my early high school years and had to adopt the “try and fail” method to become a successful writer. I now love writing and want to help others become comfortable with its process and perhaps even find their own passion for writing.

Camryn Hirsch ’20

Major:

Sociology and Anthropology 

Minor: 

Chemistry 

Academic interests: 

Organic chemistry, molecular biology, sociology of terrorism, and archaeology.

Leadership and Involvement: 

Presidential scholarship, Dean’s list, future health professionals member, and prose media freelance writer.

Tutoring Philosophy: 

Writing while knowing readers will inevitably critique your work is terrifying. My goal is to help students overcome their fears about writing and leave with a sense of confidence and accomplishment. 

Claire Grebner ’20

TRAINING ASSISTANT

Majors: 

Sociology and Anthropology and Politics

Academic Interests: Spanish language and culture, film and cinema studies, contemporary social issues, and linguistic studies.

Leadership and Involvement: Alpha Phi Omega, Zumba and fitness classes, and Secretary of Alpha Phi Omega.

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.

Grace Baumann ’18

TRAINING ASSISTANT

Major: Philosophy

Academic Interests: Environmental psychology, philosophical controversy, and cultural studies.

Leadership and Involvement: Richter Scholar 2015, Dean’s List, active member of Alpha Phi Omega, archivist and DJ for WMXM, and a member of the club rugby team.

Tutoring Philosophy: Writing is part of what makes us human. Without the skills to effectively convey thought, meaning, and opinion to others, why write at all? I tutor to help clients feel as though they can cover a blank page with something they can be proud of. 

Jacob Badagliacco ’19

Majors:

Communication and Environmental Studies

Academic interests: Climate change, earth sciences, film production, media analysis, and museum studies.

Leadership and Involvement: Student Ambassador, Percussionist in Concert Band, President of LFC Gaming Club, Vice President of the League of Legends Club, Treasurer of League for Environmental Awareness and Protection, Honors Fellow, and Presidential Scholarship Recipient.

Tutoring Philosophy: I feel that everyone has the ability to become successful writers, and I enjoy assisting clients with developing their writing into something that they can be proud of creating.

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. 

Kyle Sarabia ’18

TRAINING ASSISTANT

Major:

Politics

Academic Interests: American law, social theory, deviance, forensic psychology, contemporary and philosophy.

Leadership and Involvement: LEAP, CHIC, CLC, Photography Club, Dean’s List, Presidential Scholarship, Patterson Academic Scholarship, Honors Fellow, Secretary of CHIC, and College Life Committee Student Representative.

Tutoring Philosophy: I believe there is a certain power within one’s writing from commandeering words, inspiring emotions, and developing strength. In the English language, everything is a simple combination of twenty-six letters. All the most beautiful and provoking English writings came about from these twenty-six letters, which are available to anyone and everyone. Developing the capability to harness the potential of these letters can bring about confidence, something I believe you need in everything you do, wherever you go. I tutor because I want to see my clients grow, succeed, and be confident in their words and themselves.

Margo La Clair ’19

Majors:

International Relations and Economics

Academic Interests: International politics, studio art (painting and figure drawing), Spanish language, and art history (High Renaissance to early Cubism).

Leadership and Involvement: Honors Fellow, Presidential Scholarship, Durand Scholarship, and 2016 Richter Scholar.

Tutoring Philosophy: I struggled with writing for quite some time, as I lacked any confidence in my own writing ability. I was eventually able to gain confidence, and I hope to make my clients more confident and comfortable with the writing process.

MP Zwane ’18

Majors:

Communication and Politics

Academic Interests: Social justice and human rights in conservative and oppressive regimes, global politics and international relations, entrepreneurship, public speaking, and communication.

Leadership and Involvement: Umoja member, Intramural Soccer, Intramural Badminton, Former Umoja President, Vice-President, and Treasurer; Former CHIC Fashion Club Events Coordinator, Men’s/Woman’s Soccer webcaster, First-Connection Mentor, and an international student from Swaziland. 

Tutoring Philosophy: I was once a freshman that believed I could write well, yet I found it challenging to effectively convey this “ability” in my papers. I quickly learned that writing at the college level is much harder than I initially thought, but I believe the potential for good writing is in each and every college student. The Writing Center does not merely aim to teach, but the Writing Center provides students with a mirror in which to reflect on their writing ability. Ultimately, our achievements in Writing Center sessions are the client’s own triumphs. Therefore, I became a tutor because I want clients to eventually develop useful tips for independent writing, and I want to see all our clients succeed.

Natalie Dixon ’20

Majors:

Studio Art and English

Minor: 

Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies

Academic interests: 

Contemporary social issues, Shakespeare, art, art history, women’s healthcare reform, and Chaucer.

Leadership and Involvement: 

Women’s Soccer.

Tutoring Philosophy: 

As my academic career has progressed, I have benefited from developing visual strategies during the planning process of writing. My hope is to help clients develop and personalize their own unique writing process.

Nina Codell ’20

Majors:

English and Education

Minor: 

Theater

Academic interests: 

Rubik’s cubes, child development, romantic literature, Shakespeare, and literature in general.

Leadership and Involvement: 

The Theater department, student advisory board for the Theater and English departments, Richter Scholar, and Professor Arnell’s research assistant.

Tutoring Philosophy: 

Writing a paper can be not only simple and manageable but also fun so long as we understand the necessary steps. I hope to help clients find the skills to break down their papers into parts and work on them so they can produce work they are really proud of. 

Rebecca Reitemeier ’20

Major:

English

Academic Interests: English creative writing, editing and publishing, studio art (figure drawing), and digital media entertainment.

Leadership and Involvement: Women’s Choir, SWAN, WMXM DJ, Painted Turtle Cinema Society, and Presidential Scholarship.

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.

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 Honors Society, 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.

Tom Steen ’18

Major: Psychology and Neuroscience

Academic Interests: Anything that has to do with how the brain works, cognitive psychology, and sensations and perceptions.

Leadership and Involvement: Team recognition manager for Relay for Life, Football, Rugby, and Athletic Council.

Tutoring Philosophy: I tutor because I want others to be able to pick out their ideas and connect them to make a very clear, logical argument. I want my clients to be able to write papers that have arguments that are clear enough for anyone to read and understand what they are trying to say.

Tracy Koenn ’18

Major: 

English Literature and Politics

Academic Interests: The American political system, political philosophy and theory, different types of music and the accompanying movements, art history and art movements, Shakespeare, Walt Whitman, and all spans and periods of literature.

Leadership and Involvement: Presidential scholarship, Patterson scholarship, Kappa Alpha Theta, Umoja, Panhellenic Association, OCM staff writer, Dean’s list, Sigma Tau Delta English Honors Society, Pi Sigma Alpha Politics Honors Society, and Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Honors Society.

Tutoring Philosophy: I tutor because I gain insight from human connection: every time I have a session with a client, we mutually reveal ideas that help us expand our knowledge while also developing our writing and critical thinking skills. 

Tubanji Walubita ’19

TRAINING ASSISTANT

Majors: 

Biology and Gender & Sexuality Studies

Academic interests: Disparities in health care among racial and ethnic minorities, the underrepresentation of women in health science research, and queer theory.

Leadership and Involvement: SWAN, UBA, Umoja, Ally Member, Presidential Scholarship, Patterson Academic Scholarship, Professor K. Roth Annual Scholarship, Honors Fellow, Richter Scholar, Dean’s List, and a BIO 120 Peer Mentor.

Tutoring Philosophy: I appreciate the power of writing and its ability to convey information in a way that transcends time and place. As a tutor, I want to enable my clients with the skills necessary to create clear and professional written works that they can be proud of years after their time at Lake Forest College.