Where are you now? What are you doing, and what does your work involve?
I am currently living in Philadelphia and will start working as a community projects coordinator at YouthBuild Philly this fall. As a community projects coordinator, I will help foster civic service engagement, support career exploration, and build opportunities for my students to build community between their peers and the neighboring community. Moreover, I will also support student’s academic and personal growth through serving as a mentor.
How have you drawn on your experience in the Writing Center since graduating?
How have you drawn on your experience in the Writing Center since graduating?
Working at the writing center opened doors for me to explore different programming involving tutoring and supporting the development of students such as serving as a tutor at a mindfulness center and Puentes de Salud, and now as a community projects coordinator at YouthBuild. It has also allowed me to see the importance of having a supportive and nurturing environment to not just accomplish academic goals but also undergo personal growth. I hope through the interpersonal skills I have developed, such as attentive listening, flexibility in creating personalized learning plans, and building a good rapport with my students, I can be a support system for my students in YouthBuild Philly.
How did you come to your current position? What have you done since graduating?
I found out about my current position through a posting on Handshake and I am excited to start my first job after graduating. While I was going through the application process I was volunteering for Puentes de Salud. As a volunteer, I conducted calls to assess the needs of families impacted by COVID-19 and directed them to resources and conducted virtual academic tutoring sessions.
What role does writing have in your daily life and work?
Writing played a significant role in the last months of my senior year and at the beginning of the summer as I was writing every day to create different cover letters and resumes for job applications. I felt fortunate to have developed different skills in assisting my peers with their applications in writing center sessions and was able to translate these skills into writing my own cover letters. Additionally, I have been using my writing skills to communicate public health information related to COVID-19 on Instagram and Facebook for my community to learn about resources and ways to stay safe. I have also used my writing tutoring skills to virtually tutor my niece and help her review academic skills this summer. Overall, writing and tutoring help me support others.
What’s something you’ve learned about writing that you’d like to share with Haverford writers?
My journey as a tutor and student at Haverford have taught me that writing is about growth and collaboration. I would not be the writer I am today without the support of my friends, peers, tutors, and professors. Through their support, they have helped me see my strengths, recognize my weaknesses, and given me space and advice to grow. With getting support and collaborating with my community, I have learned about different theories, practices, and pieces of literature that have supported my development as a scholar. These experiences have expanded my understanding of the impact of writing for writing is more than just an academic exercise. Additionally, I would advise you to give space to having fun and enjoying parts of the writing process. For instance, I love brainstorming and talking about my ideas with my friend. This has helped me nurture my writing process and made my writing experience much more enjoyable especially writing my thesis.