Amanda W. majors in English. Writing allows her to share, discover, express, learn, and communicate; it potentially takes her “everywhere and anywhere” that she wants to go. Because writing liberates Amanda, she feels that everyone should experience that freedom.

Being a tutor means sharing this writer’s freedom and making new discoveries. Amanda believes tutoring allows her to learn from and to help others. In thinking about writing, Amanda offers this thought from Sylvia Plath, “Everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.”

Kayla M. majors in Creative Arts. She enjoys writing and considers her talent for writing a gift from God that she should share with others.

Kayla likes being a tutor because as she helps others with their writing, she learns more about writing, and this knowledge helps her to improve her own writing. One piece of advice that she would share with others is “Let your personality flow through your hands and into your writing.”

Heather S. majors in English. In order to explain her feelings about tutoring, Heather quotes Bruce “Charlie” Johnson: “If others know you use ideas to inspire more different ideas, they eagerly share ideas with you to see what you come up with.

Working together, we [create] many more ideas than we ever would have separately because we inspired new ideas in each other.” Heather reflects that as a tutor, she is afforded the opportunity to spark inspiration in those she works with as well as in herself. Every new person and new experience is an opportunity for an “ah!” moment, and she loves sharing those moments. When writing, she advises to start from a place of personal interest and excitement, and to build from there.

Bethany J. majors in Humanities with a childhood education certificate. As a writer, she is analytical and flexible, as well as able to avoid writer’s block.

She attributes her writing talents to the fact that she comes from a family of writers and learned early on a variety of helpful writing skills. Tutoring allows her the opportunity to share her skills with others, and also to discover how others learn, think, and relate. Helping others to find methods and skills that work for them also aids her in acquiring more knowledge about writing and teaching, two interests that she wants to continue to nurture and develop. To writers, Bethany offers this bit of advice: “Never stop. If stuck move on, write another section, make a list, write a closing, something. The important part is not to stop or dwell on being stuck. Doing research, listing topics, or writing another section allows your mind to continue to flow.”

Spencer K. majors in English and Theater. She writes stories, plays, poetry, and newspaper columns as well.

English has always been one of her favorite subjects, and she hopes to share that love with others. About why she enjoys tutoring, Spencer observes, “I get to work with all sorts of people, most of which think they’re awful writers, but they aren’t really. It’s fun to help others find confidence in themselves.”

Bri H. majors in English and minors in History. She knows the ins and outs of journalism, but fiction is her first love.

Being a tutor gives Bri an official title for her desire to be helpful to others; whether or not her day has been productive in the conventional sense, she feels she has accomplished something if she has helped someone else along the way. Bri offers a nugget of wisdom for writers: “Trust your instincts but always be open for help and advice.”

Elizabeth S. majors in English Education. She thinks that “the best writers are not the best because they are perfect; they are the best because they love what they do.”

Liz has a passion for writing, a passion for words, and coupling that with dedication enables her to be a writer. She believes that writing is an essential form of communication that is important in all walks of life. As a tutor, she enjoys the opportunity to help students become more proficient writers and to see their pride and confidence in their written work. In reflecting on writing, Liz offers this quote from Rhys Alexander: “As a writer, words are your paint. Use all the colors.”