The Consultants

 Amanda

Amanda is a student in the English M.A. program with a concentration in Professional and Technical Writing. She earned her B.A. in Writing Arts from Rowan University in New Jersey, where she studied environmental journalism and medical writing. She has also worked for the English department at George Mason as the graduate student intern for the Professional and Technical Writing program. As a writing center consultant, Amanda enjoys helping writers develop the skills to communicate their ideas with clarity and confidence. Whether they are working on a grant proposal or short story, Amanda hopes to help writers foster a deeper awareness of their personal writing process and creative potential. Outside of consulting hours, Amanda enjoys sampling coffees from local roasters, listening to classic rock, and rewatching episodes of her comfort show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

 Angela B

Angela is a PhD candidate in the Cultural Studies department. Here in the Writing Center, she consults with advanced graduate students working on their theses and dissertations. Angela has taught in the Integrative Studies department for four years, focusing primarily on visual culture and society. Her dissertation research involves understanding the intersections of fanship, digital community, and merchandise. She has completed fields (qualifying exams in the form of extensive literature reviews) in culture & political economy and digital communities. Angela holds an M.A. in Sociology from the University of Texas at Arlington. She has presented work in the forms of papers and presentations at the Mid-South Sociological Association Annual Meeting and at the Southern Sociological Association Meeting. At the Mason Writing Center, she supports graduate writers working on their thesis, dissertation, and other academic projects. Angela is a tabletop gamer, trained in sword fighting, a violinist, and avid consumer of mass media.

 Ann

Ann (she/her) is a fourth-year psychology major at George Mason University, concentrating in clinical psychology. She is a proud first-generation student, and she is fluent in both English and Spanish. Her family is from Peru, and she was born and raised in Virginia. She has a deep passion for storytelling and has always been interested in science fiction and fantasy. Her creative work has been featured in The Forge, GMU’s sci-fi and fantasy magazine, where she contributed as a writer, editor, and illustrator. Ann also has strong technical writing skills. She works part-time as a proposal lead and supports the HR department at her company. She has hands-on experience in professional and administrative communication. Academically, she has honed her scientific writing skills through intensive coursework in biology and psychology, where she regularly produces lab reports and reads research studies.

 Austin

Austin (he/him) is a first-year creative writing student in fiction. He has a BA in English from Oklahoma State University and a MA in cultural geography from the University of Colorado. In the past, he’s taught English as a foreign language (TEFL), international affairs, political ecology, urban geography and international development. He is interested in working with multilingual and ESL opt-in writers as well as students in the humanities and social sciences. He has experience with proposal writing, personal statements, research papers, book reviews, literary translations, magazine articles, dissertations and abstracts. He believes that all writing takes courage, and in his sessions, he strives to support writers in exploring their ideas. In his free time, Austin enjoys recording music, cooking, and playing boardgames that take forever to finish.  

 Brailey

Hi, I’m Brailey (she/her). I’m a first-year MFA candidate in fiction. I received my BA in English Literature from Millsaps College in 2022. I also obtained a certificate of Spanish fluency from the ACTFL and wrote many essays in Spanish. My experience with writing in a second language combined with my research into linguistics for my undergraduate honors thesis instilled me with a passion for linguistic justice. I wholeheartedly believe that all voices are valuable. I’m happy to help you with anything you’re working on, but I’m especially familiar with MLA-formatted papers, statements of purpose, and creative works. Though my Spanish isn’t perfect, I’m here to help anyone who prefers to brainstorm or draft in Spanish. In my free time, I enjoy many of the hobbies a grandma might have: reading, baking, going on walks, and endlessly rearranging the photos on my walls.

 Briana

Briana (they/she) is an undergraduate communication student, concentrating in journalism and political communication. While journalistic writing is their specialization, they’re confident in writing in many other genres. Briana’s favorite type of writing usually includes persuasive and analytical strategies. When writing she enjoys closely examining intersectionality of social identities, shifts in public policy, and media impact on consumers. As a leader on campus, she values servant leadership and linguistic justice. When not in the writing center they enjoy baking, watching horror movies, and playing with their goats.

 Caitlin

Caitlin is a PhD candidate in the History department, studying American history with a focus on gender and gender-non-conformity in the 18th century Atlantic world. Her dissertation research seeks to broaden our understanding of gender in the past by identifying and investigating recurring language and tropes in gender-non-conforming narratives. With a minor field in digital history, she has previously worked at the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media and taught The Digital Past: History in the Digital Age, an upper-level undergraduate course in the History department. She holds an M.A. in History from George Mason University and a B.A. in History and International Relations from the College of William & Mary. Prior to Mason, she also taught high school English, History and AP Economics at Killington Mountain School in Vermont. At the Writing Center, Caitlin is a Thesis/Dissertation Consultant, working with graduate writers on their theses, dissertations and other academic projects.

 Caroline

Caroline (she/her) is an undergraduate student at GMU’s Honors College studying Psychology with aspirations to become a School Psychologist. Much of her writing experience in high school was derived from the research, synthesizing, and organizing process of literature reviews, along with the occasional fictional personal project. Although now her major requires her to craft technical psychological reports and research papers, her college classes have also had her dabbling in journalistic and creative writing. With an appreciation for all writing styles and a spirit for teaching, Caroline thoroughly enjoys helping students improve as writers through any assignment at every stage of the writing process. Outside of the center, she enjoys giving tours to prospective GMU students, exploring new coffee shops with her roommates, gaffing with her improv troupe, and salsaing with her friends in Zumba.

 Cheyenne

Cheyenne (she/her) is a first-year graduate student in the Non-fiction Creative Writing program. Cheyenne graduated from Hampton University with a B.A. in English and a minor in Strategic Communications. During her undergraduate studies, Cheyenne served as the editor-in-chief of the digital magazine, Her Campus, where she first learned how to help writers to find and preserve their voices– this is her favorite part of the writing process. In 2024, Cheyenne graduated with an M.A. in Publishing and Writing from Emerson College. During her time at Emerson, she worked as an Editorial Coordinator at Harvard Business Publishing and served as an Editorial Assistant to the series editor of the Best American Essays series. It was also during that time that Cheyenne learned to read and curate across genres, and, with the help of faculty, realized that writing wasn’t just a supplement to a publishing career, it was the dream itself. When she’s not reading, she’s working out, listening to Taylor Swift, and being a co-dependent youngest daughter.

 Elizabeth

Elizabeth (she/her) is a first year Creative Writing MFA student with a concentration in poetry. She received her BA in Writing from Loyola University Maryland in 2025. Having independently tutored a range of students, from high schoolers to graduate applicants, she is looking forward to imparting her love of learning. She hopes to create a space where students can see their own best selves in their writing and take that confidence with them to the next project. Elizabeth has specific experience working on historical and literary analysis, as well as both professional and creative works. Outside of the center, she is a music and history nerd, who will drive far for coffee or a hike in a scenic place. 

 Gemmalee

Gemmalee (she/hers) is a first year MFA student in the creative nonfiction track. She is from San Antonio, Texas, and received her bachelor’s in Classics and Anthropology from the University of Arizona. Gemmalee also worked as a writing tutor during undergraduate at the university’s Think Tank and is CRLA certified. She studied abroad in Italy and gained valuable experience in Classical Archaeology through direct interaction with sites and artifacts. Gemmalee also has experience revising academic research papers and argumentative essays. In pursuing the study of nonfiction, she wants to explore the power of narratives and memoirs. During her free time, Gemmalee loves reading contemporary fiction, writing, learning about the expansive world and culture of fragrance, playing with and petting cats, and also trying new coffeeshops, restaurants, and bookshops.

 Grace

Grace is a fourth year BFA Creative Writing Fiction student, minoring in Spanish and Dynamic Publishing with a focus in Editorial Production, and hopes to pursue an MFA in Fiction as well. She speaks Spanish and Italian and knows some basic Russian. Her dream career is being a full-time editor at a publishing company and a full-time author of fantasy novels. She has begun this journey by self-publishing her novels through KindleDirect Publishing by Amazon. In her free time, Grace enjoys reading fantasy novels with her cats, listening to metal music, and working on her next novel. Though writing is her passion, she understands that writing may sometimes be more of a chore than a pastime for some and desires to help all students develop their voice. Overall, she hopes to help writers from all backgrounds become comfortable and confident with their work.  

 Gray

Gray (they/them) is a fourth-year undergraduate student in the Honors College pursuing a BFA in Graphic Design. In the future, they hope to work in web design as a professional UX Developer or Front-End Engineer. As a writer, they're passionate about cultural studies, gender and queer studies along with various areas of literature and have experience writing and researching within these disciplines. They love working with students across disciplines and eagerly support them at whatever stage of the writing process they're in. As a neurodivergent student, they are passionate about working with and supporting fellow neurodivergent writers and helping them bring out the best in their work. Outside of classes and consulting, they can be found enjoying video games, anime, or cosplaying with their friends.

 Ian

Ian (they/he/she) is a 1st year MFA student in the Creative Writing Program pursuing a concentration in Poetry. With an undergraduate education from Mason in the same field and discipline, they are well versed in creative and literature writing but are eager to work with writers across all disciplines. Originally from a rural county outside of Richmond, Virginia, advocating for voices historically underrepresented within academic spaces is important to their writing practice. They are also passionate about supporting neurodivergent writers, being intimately familiar with struggling to find support for their own ADHD. Additionally, they spent several years studying Game Design, providing them experience with project documents, scripting, and game bibles. In their free time, Ian can be found enjoying a wide variety of media, from video games to movies and poetry to manga, or indulging in their hyperfixation for tabletop roleplaying games (such as Vampire or Dungeons & Dragons).  

 Irha

Irha (she/her) is a second-year graduate student majoring in English with a concentration in Linguistics. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Pakistan, where she double majored in Literature and Linguistics. After completing her undergraduate studies, she taught English in her home country for two years. She is a multilingual speaker, fluent in Urdu, Punjabi, English, Pakistan Sign Language, and is currently learning Spanish. Her research interests lie in sociolinguistics, particularly focusing on code-switching behaviors in bilingual speakers. She aims to explore how language choices reflect identity, power dynamics, and community belonging. Irha is passionate about cooking and is a self-taught photographer. She loves watching K-dramas when she isn't busy with graduate school or working at the writing center.

 Jessie

Jessie is a PhD student in the Writing and Rhetoric program studying the rhetorics of health and medicine. Her dissertation research is on blood and vaccination, analyzing rhetorical practices of hesitancy and the resulting clinical implications. She holds an M.A. and B.A. in Writing, Rhetoric & Technical Communication from James Madison University. She is a qualitative researcher with experience as a survey methodologist for a community health non-profit. At the Writing Center, Jessie serves as the Graduate Writing Coordinator, consulting with graduate students on their theses, dissertations, and other academic projects. She has experience with writing proposals for funding, conducting surveys and interviews using qualitative methods, and preparing conference submissions and manuscripts.

 Josie

Josie (she/her) is a fourth-year undergraduate at Mason. She’s currently pursuing a BA in English, and a minor in Dynamic Publishing. She has a background working in a multitude of writing genres, and enjoys the different challenges presented by academic, creative, and professional writing. Teaching is her passion, and she has experience working with writers across a wide variety of ages and backgrounds. As a consultant, Josie loves hearing new ideas and engaging with different writing styles. She hopes to highlight each writer’s unique voice and perspective. One day, Josie plans to work as an editor, so she can spend the rest of her life helping writers express their ideas. Outside of writing, Josie enjoys playing D&D, watching low-budget films, and making her own tea blends.

 Judy

Judy (she/her) is a first year graduate student pursuing a doctorate in writing and rhetoric. She holds degrees from the National Defense University College of International Security Affairs (MA), St. Edward’s University (MAHS), the University of Texas at Austin (BA). She is a retired career Foreign Service Officer who served overseas in Asia and Latin America. An experienced facilitator, she was a course manager and adjunct faculty at the Foreign Service Institute.
Prior to joining the Department of State, her love of travel took her to Central Europe as a freelance writer in print journalism and to Asia as the author of commercial travel guides. Judy’s interests include oral history, rhetoric and art in the post digital age, and empowerment through creating personal narrative. She enjoys spending time with her two cats and hiking with her family and their blue heeler.

 Kelsey

Kelsey (she/her) is a first year MFA creative writing student with a concentration in fiction. She received her Bachelor’s in dance and digital media and video production at Marymount Manhattan College. After leaving New York she moved back to her home town, Birmingham Alabama, and became a reporter at WBHM, her state’s NPR station. While there she received three awards for her reporting. With her reporting experience acting as the groundwork, she aims to enrich her own writing by creating fictional works that rely on real life context. Her aim with reporting was to empower the public with information, similarly she hopes to empower writers who come to the writing center with the fundamentals of writing, so they can understand the power they wield once they know these techniques. When she is not in the Writing Center, you can find her at a movie theater or at a bookstore.

 Kiara

 Kris

Kris (she/her) is a first-year MFA candidate in nonfiction. She received her bachelor’s in English and French Literature from SUNY Fredonia and has since spent the past decade of her career exploring various literary passions including selling books in Nevada, working at a poetry journal in Maine, and teaching creative writing classes in Washington, DC. Kris enjoys working with writers of all ages, backgrounds, and genres and hopes to facilitate a warm and generative space to explore, spark, or refine ideas. When not on campus, Kris can be found hiking through Rock Creek Park, teaching yoga, Pilates, and creative workshops, or making baked goods in her cozy little hobbit hole in northwest DC.  

 Mariah

Mariah (she/her) is a first-year MFA candidate in nonfiction. Mariah started her undergraduate studies at Northern Virginia Community College and then went on to receive her B.A. in English (with a minor in Busch Gardensology) from the College of William & Mary. Rooted in a strong belief that writing should be accessible to people of all backgrounds, Mariah strives to help writers find themselves on the page. So far, Mariah has mostly written memoir, poetry, and essays on diversifying the literary canon. Coming from a Salvadoran family, Mariah has inherited the Spanish language and a love for Los Beats. When Mariah is not doomscrolling, she can be found thrifting, eating a triple-chocolate dessert, or sitting in a car with friends.

 Meg

Meg (they/them) is a first-year MA Literature student and has lived in Northern Virginia all their life. Meg received their Bachelor’s in English and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University of Mary Washington. Given their background with an interdisciplinary major, Meg has experience with many disciplines and has written and worked with humanities-focused papers in MLA, Chicago, and APA style citations. Meg is passionate about working with disabled writers and individualizing sessions for each writers’ needs. Meg works for Phoebe, the graduate literary journal at Mason, as the social media editor. Their interests include books, 2000s sitcoms, concerts, bumblebees, and 20th century lesbians.

 Megan

Megan (They/Them) is a fourth year undergraduate at Mason. They are an Honors College student pursuing an English BFA and a minor in Dynamic Publishing. They plan on becoming a Novel Editor following graduation. In their schoolwork, Megan loves to research 2010s YA fiction culture as it inspired an entire generation of readers and writers. As a consultant, they aim to connect with writers and help them build confidence in their unique voice.  In their free time, Megan likes to read fantasy books, like The Vampire Chronicles, and play Stardew Valley. They’re also trying (and kind of failing) to learn how to crochet.

 Mia

Lamia (Mia), is a senior undergrad studying communication with a specialisation in Journalism. She has a double minor in economics and marketing. She is also a part of the Honor college at GMU. Mia is multi-lingual - fluent in both English and Arabic. Mia can also speak conversational French. She has a strong interest in writing, she’s a writer at George Mason’s Fourth Estate magazine. Furthermore, she has previous experience with working with writers as she used to be a published writer and an Editor in Chief during her high school years at an online magazine called “Milkyway Magazine.” She also worked with corporates like CIRA venture education producing professional communication policies, as well as sustainability reports within the company. Her goal of being a peer consultant is sharing her passion towards writing with others, guiding writers to find their voice, and being a source for helping students to reach and uncap their true potential. Apart from that, Mia enjoys singing, travelling, walking in nature, and reading during her leisure time.

 Nikki

Nikki is a first-year student in the MFA in Creative Writing program, with a concentration in nonfiction. She has a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a teaching certificate from Moreland University. Nikki is a credentialed ESL educator and has taught writing and literacy in K-12 and post-secondary settings using her many years of experience in journalism and public relations with media, nonprofit, corporate, and global intergovernmental organizations. She speaks several languages, with Russian and English being her fortes. Her pedagogy style is defined by her desire to support each individual writer in the way that is most useful to them and to meet them where they are in their writing process.    

 Noa

Noa (she/her), a first-year MFA candidate in poetry, grew up in a bilingual household in the Baltimore suburbs, and is fluent in English and Hebrew. She attended Tel Aviv University, where she majored in literature and co-ran the university’s poetry club. Noa understands the intimate nature of writing, and that sharing it can feel scary or difficult. She aims to develop a supportive environment based in mutual trust and respect to make it easier on writers to share and hone their work and to feel confident in their voice. She is most familiar with the humanities, including literary analysis, psychology, and philosophy, but she looks forward to working with you in any field. Outside of the Writing Center, Noa enjoys hiking, cooking (and eating) good food, and befriending every dog she sees. 

 Paige

Paige is an undergraduate in the Honor’s College majoring in Criminology, Law & Society with a minor in Forensic Psychology. Last year, she wrote her literature review on the effectiveness of different resources that are offered to inmates with mental illnesses. She also has a background in writing articles for a NJ defense attorney’s website. She believes that writing is form of self-expression and self-advocacy and wants to help others view it in the same manner. Aside from writing, Paige enjoys wandering around the aisles of Target and binging different tv shows. 

 Presley

Presley (he/him) is a fourth-year undergraduate student working towards his BFA in Creative Writing with a concentration in Fiction. He’s been writing since fifth grade and the passion for it continues to grow. After graduating, he is planning on obtaining his MFA in Creative Writing in hopes of one day teaching the subject. In addition to his experience with writing poetry, short stories, and an anthology (work-in-progress!), Presley is well equipped to handle any and all academic writing situations regardless of the major, discipline, or genre. For him, writing is not simply words on a page, but rather the very means in which we communicate our ideas with one another. He understands that writing is not everyone's preferred version of doing something fun but is willing to help anyone with whatever the assignment, task, or issue is. Presley’s goal as a writing consultant is to help build the writer’s confidence within themselves by listening to their concerns and working with them on their goals. Some of his special interests include playing indie video games, reading bizarre graphic novels, and finding new ways to incorporate hot sauce into what he's eating.

 Quinn

Quinn (he/him) is a fourth-year undergraduate at Mason, pursuing a BFA in Creative Writing and minors in Computer Game Design and Folklore and Mythology. As a student, Quinn loves taking niche English courses to expand his reading. A neurodivergent writer himself, he likes to use his unique perspective to connect with and understand writers. In his free time he likes to play social deduction games with his friends, play video games, and listen to podcasts like The Magnus Archives.

 Rachel

Rachel (they/them) is a first-year graduate student in the Master’s in English program concentrating in Literature. They received their Bachelor of Arts in English at George Mason University. Within their discipline, they have a particular interest in queer, medieval, early English, and disability literature. As a neurodivergent student and consultant, Rachel is very passionate about cultivating their sessions to be accessible for any writer. Their favorite movie series is Back to the Future, with a special love for the 2nd part of the trilogy (Doc Brown is them in another life). Rachel also has a cat named Bowie, after David Bowie, one of their favorite music artists.

 Shay

Shay (she/her) is a first year fiction MFA candidate from Chicago. She holds a BA in English from Mount Holyoke College, where she also enjoyed dabbling in history, South Asian Studies, and math. In her years helping Boston public school students write college essays, she’s developed strategies to support writers in finding their own voices and reaching their goals. Teaching English in Spain showed her just how challenging it can be to live and work in a second language. She has passion for and experience in disability justice. She is also an acrobat and a tin whistler.

 Sumaya

Sumaya is a fourth-year undergraduate Honors College student pursuing a double major in Economics and Global Affairs, with a concentration in International Development, as well as a minor in Conflict Analysis and Resolution. As a speaker of three languages and advanced learner of two others, Sumaya understands the value of and challenges that come with the language-learning process and hopes to use those experiences and skills to help writers of diverse linguistic backgrounds. As a consultant, she hopes to help writers build confidence in their writing and successfully convey their messages and passions through their works.

 Sydney

Sydney (she/her) is an undergraduate Honors College student at George Mason for a degree in civil engineering. Her main interests lie in the structural, land design, and construction branches of civil. Despite not pursuing any degrees in literature, she does enjoy research papers and technical writing. Sydney loves that she is breaking the “engineers can’t write” trope! Some of her favorite sessions include creating outlines, discussing how to maintain writer voice, and essay structure. Numerous research classes have taught her methods for organizing notes and sources, which built her reading and writing repertoire. While she tries her best to read scholarly literature, her guilty pleasures lie on YA and mystery shelves of a book store. Outside of school, Sydney enjoys crocheting, motorsports, anime, and collecting. One might say she is a materialist… 

 Trisha

Trisha (she/they) is a Fiction MFA candidate who has been teaching and consulting for over five years. Trisha earned her BA in English from Old Dominion University and enjoys working with writers of various disciplines, learning styles, and experience levels. She has experience as a community college writing tutor, an instructor of college composition and literature courses, and as an instructional designer for a high school dual enrollment program. Trisha’s favorite part about consulting is helping students find their confidence as a writer. Her goal for every session is to facilitate a safe, trusting space where writers can feel supported and empowered. When she’s not writing or consulting, you may find Trisha re-watching their favorite Ghibli movies or trying (and failing) to keep her two cats out of trouble.

 YJ

YJ (she/her) is a first-year MFA candidate in fiction. She has degrees in finance from Northwestern University (doctorate) and Carnegie Mellon University (bachelor’s). She has experience working with non-Native English speakers and translating documents. A former economist, she can help you with academic research papers, CVs/resumes, cover letters, or fiction. She has also taken screenwriting classes. In her spare time, she likes reading speculative fiction, playing the piano, and hiking with her wife and dog. (Her cat stays at home.)  

 Zuha

Zuha is a Masters student in Data Analytics. She received her BS at Mason with a major in Computer Science and minor in Astrophysics. She plans to go into research and because of this, she is most familiar with research papers, proposals, and technical reports. She also has experience with literature reviews and essays. Zuha is proficient in speaking Urdu and Hindi and knows some Arabic. She enjoys working with writers with diverse backgrounds and languages and helping them center their own voices in their writing. When she is not working, she loves to travel and listen to any type of pop punk music.