Meet More Tutors, Part 2

Annastacia

Annastacia 
Greetings!  My name is Annastacia.  I have a bachelor's and master's in English from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.  The areas that I studied most closely in school were literature, rhetoric, and composition.  Admittedly, British Literature is my guilty pleasure and what I most enjoyed discussing and analyzing in school.  One of my final papers talked about how desire is heightened when there is an element of danger involved.  Even though the process of writing it was intense, I cannot express how much I enjoyed researching and composing that essay.  

Believe it or not, I received my first low grade in English when I was in elementary school.  If I could go back and revisit my 5th-grade-self, I would let Annastacia know that grammar is not the enemy.  Although diagramming sentences was a detriment to me at that time, I can now appreciate the ability to understand how words function differently in a sentence.  In fact, one of my teachers once told me that I had a talent for putting together compound complex sentences.  Grammar is now one of my greatest strengths.

It is important to understand the amount of power that words have.  I learned from an early age that words have the ability to build someone up or tear them down.  I struggled for years with low self esteem because of one short sentence muttered to me when I was a child.  Through writing, I have been able to communicate these feelings and find a new voice.  Writing, after all, is a mode of communication; therefore, writing is unique depending on the writer and what is being communicated.  While writing needs structure, the possibilities for how to build this verbal infrastructure are endless.  What can I help build today?

Heather

What’s up, y’all?! I’m Heather, and I was born and raised in Houston, Texas. I came to Corpus Christi to pursue both my B.A and M.A in English at Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi. 

Heather

I can be described in 3 words: Writer, Dancer, and Cosplayer. I’m quite passionate about creative writing and mostly interested in the dystopian, sci-fi, mystery, and supernatural genres. In fact, I have several work-in-progress novels lined up in those genres. My favorite thing about writing has to be painting a picture with my words. No matter what I’m describing, whether it is an epic fight scene or simply describing a room, the words I choose have the power to make the image come alive.

Me dancing

If I’m not writing, I’m dancing my heart out. I’ve been a dancer for about 20 years. I started out in ballet just like every young girl, but I loved it so much I never stopped. I’m well versed in several styles: ballet, hip hop, jazz, contemporary, modern, high kick, military, and the like. I competed in dance competitions in high school for three years, then continued casually dancing well into college. 

When I’m not dancing or writing, you can find me attending anime conventions and cosplaying as various fictional characters. I started out in 2010 and slowly learned more and more about the craft. Cosplaying is my hobby; it has allowed me to hone my make-up, prop-making, and sewing skills. While my make-up skills are the most evident, my passion lies in prop-making and crafting. I just love the idea of making replicas of fictional weapons and other props. 

Well, that’s me. Happy to assist y’all in the Stone Writing Center!

Christina

Christina

Bienvenidos! I am Christina, an Instructional Consultant at the Stone Writing Center. Even though my last name is Greek, I am Bilingual in English and Spanish. I have a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in English, with a focus in literature and journalism, from Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi. I am also an Instructor for the Crossroads: Adult Education and Literacy program at the Education Service Center – Region 2. I have always been passionate about writing, especially creative writing. It can take me to places I’ve never been. I always thought writing was important because of the books I loved to read; however, the first time I was published in a school newspaper helped me to realize how impactful writing could be. I had never been published before, and for a day, everyone knew who I was because they published my photo along with my opinion column. They wanted to know what I thought about a certain issue. I knew then that I wanted to write more for publication. I look forward to sharing my novel (my current work-in-progress) in the future, which I hope will show how creative writing can be just as powerful as journalism can be. 

Meet the Tutors of the SWC, Part 1

Hi, again, Roxy Readers! As you know, I spend my time helping students at the Stone Writing Center at Del Mar College. It’s mid-term around here, and everyone is busy, busy, busy getting their papers done. It takes a village to keep things running, and I don’t do it alone. My next few entries will be devoted to introducing the talent of the SWC. Everyone - I’d like you to meet the tutors of the Stone Writing Center!

Laura 

Hi everyone! My name is Laura. I graduated from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV…formerly UTPA) with both my bachelor’s and master’s degree in English Rhetoric and Composition. I’ve always enjoyed writing, so it seemed like the best fit for me.

I’ve actually loved to write since I was five. Back then, I wrote mostly about princess mermaids and PowerPuff Girl fan fiction. When I started learning about teaching writing, I began to learn more about the struggles that people have with writing, and now, I really enjoy helping students with their writing. I like that it always changes, it’s never the same from student to student, and it’s a form of expression. Plus, I love to read!

I love to read!

People need guidance, but I think students especially need guidance. If I could go back and tell my younger student self anything, I would tell myself that it’s okay to stumble through obstacles as long as you keep working through them. I would also tell myself that it’s absolutely, perfectly OKAY to ask for help. Being a student is hard, and I learned very late that professors are there to teach you; they want to help. I wish I wouldn’t have waited so long to ask professors to re-explain something or guide me through starting an assignment. I only hope that my younger student self would listen to me because I know I never listened to my mom!

Getting ready to write!

The one thing that I did listen to my mom about was when she said that I would, in fact, be a writer. I do think I’m a very strong writer both in academic writing and in fiction writing. I love to write stories, and I’ve actually submitted and published two short stories on the Young Adult Review Network; one of which was a humor contest winner. In the spare time I do have, I enjoy working on short stories and (potential) novels. Hopefully, I’ll write for the rest of my life. 

Jenny

This is me!

Hello, Del Mar Community!  My name is Jenny.  I am a born and raised Californian with a passion for culture, outdoor activities, arts, and languages.  I received my bachelor’s degree in English from California Baptist University and my master’s in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) from Arizona State University. 

From technical writing to poetry, I have always loved how language and writing could do so much.  As Professor Dumbledore stated in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, “Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it.”  When we know how to use language correctly, there are endless possibilities for what we can do and who we can help. 

Besides my passion for language learning, something that people might not know about me is that I play the ukulele.  I started playing about 6 years ago, and it has quickly become my most relaxing hobby.  After a long day, playing a few songs on my ukulele instantly relaxes me.

If I am not working on some form of language arts or playing my ukulele, you will find me running.  I love to run. It is the way I start my day, and the thing I look forward to most in the mornings besides my big cup of tea. To me, it is the most therapeutic activity I have ever done. On good days, I run. On stressful days, I run. Whatever type of day it is, my run always makes my day better. 

Toby

Toby

My name is Toby, and I earned an Associate of Arts in English from Del Mar College in 2017. I continued my education at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and graduated Summa Cum Laude in May 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in English and a TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) Certificate.

One of my areas of expertise, at Stone Writing Center, is helping students get started on writing projects when they say they don’t know how or where to start. As a student, I learned the hard way that prewriting and outlining are excellent for getting started writing, and I am now passing this knowledge on to others.

There are many things I like about writing, but I especially like the feeling of

accomplishment that comes with a well-written piece. I have always enjoyed writing, and I considered myself a good writer before I came back to college. Prior to returning to college, I enjoyed writing informative articles for the SWCHR Bulletin, a quarterly publication of Southwestern Center for Herpetological Research, which can be found at southwesternherp.com. In sophomore classes at Del Mar, I discovered that I was not as great at writing as I had believed, and there was a lot that I needed to learn. This discovery piqued my interest in writing; I worked hard to become a better writer, and it fueled my desire to pass on what I had learned to new writers. At TAMU-CC, I continued to hone my writing skills, and I found my voice in poetry and fiction while attending creative writing classes.

My hobby! Can you see him?

It's Roxy, again. That's it for now! You'll get to meet more of my friends soon! See you next time the sun is up, the breeze is cool, and the waves roll into view. ‘Til then, hang ten!

Hello to Fall!

Hello, hello, hello, Roxy Readers! Summer is in our rearview mirror. It’s October! It’s FALL, and I’ve been busy helping with writing consultations. I can’t do it all alone, though, and I have lots of new friends at the Stone Writing Center. You’ll get to meet them here. They will introduce themselves over the next few weeks, so check back often!

Me!

My favorite thing to do

What I use to write