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.