The Consultants

Our consultants are accomplished graduate and undergraduate Mason students. Our graduate and undergraduate consultants are talented writers and scholars who come from majors across the university. These are the Spring 2024 consultants:

 

 Abigail L

Abigail (they/them) is a third-year undergraduate student working towards their BS in Criminology, Law, and Society with a Minor in English. Abigail’s special interests in criminology are criminal justice and law and society. After graduating they are planning on going to law school. In their free time they read a lot of science fiction and fantasy books and listen to The Crane Wives or Destroy Boys. Currently, they are working on their roller-skating abilities so that they can start doing roller derby. Abigail’s goal as a writing consultant is to help improve the writer’s confidence in themselves and abilities as a writer, not just the writing or assignment itself.

 Abigail M

Abigail M is a first-year MFA Creative Writing student with a concentration in fiction. She received her AA in Communication Studies at NVCC in 2020, and graduated from the GMU Honors College and received her BFA in Creative Writing in December 2022. She has a background in photography, administration, web development, and videography and has been consulting at the GMU Writing Center since Spring 2022. She believes writing is a tool for all people, across all disciplines, and is a skill that can always be developed and improved. As a consultant, she strives to create a space where writers are empowered to find their voice, build their confidence, and meet their goals.

 Aleezay

Aleezay is a PhD candidate in the Sociology and Anthropology department. In the Writing Center, she consults with advanced graduate students working on their theses and dissertations. Before joining the Writing Center, she taught introductory sociology in the department for four years. Her research focuses on the lived experiences of second-generation young Muslim immigrants living in the DMV area and attempts to develop a deeper understanding of factors impacting their community engagement, and how their community associations impact their sense of belonging to the contemporary American society. Her project also examines how Muslim’s negotiate their identity based on their race, ethnicity, gender, social class and the level of religiosity against the backdrop of polarization taking shape in society as a result of the rise of right-wing politics and islamophobia. In her free time, she loves to paint and do arts and craft projects.

 Angela

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.

 Angelina

Angelina (she/they) is a first-year MFA Creative Writing student with a concentration in Nonfiction writing. They graduated with a BA in English and minored in Creative writing. During their time in undergrad, they focused on writing personal narratives and research on a variety of topics, one being the lives of Jewish women during the Italian Renaissance. Angelina ensures that each individual's identity and perspective is a valued part of each session. They can be found in your local thrift store, petting a stray cat, or irresponsibly purchasing their next ticket to Europe.

 Ben

Ben (they/them) is a third year BFA Game Design student with a minor in Animation. They are knowledgeable about a variety of tech related fields and are passionate about a multitude of other, non-tech related fields as well. They have experience with a variety of different writing styles and formats, from research papers to magazine articles and short form reviews. Previously, they worked as an IT specialist for four years as well as participated in an archeological dig in Italy for seven weeks. Their primary focus as a writing consultant is to understand the writer and help them to develop their voice as a writer.

  Bri

Bri (she/they) is a second year MFA candidate with a concentration in poetry. She graduated with a BA at George Mason University where she majored in English. There, she focused on researching topics in literature and cultural studies with specific interest in print media and propaganda. She believes that the study of English (in all concentrations) is a study in communication- whether that be in conversation, the written word, or through text and images. As a consultant, she hopes to help writers find faith in their own ability to share ideas with clarity and confidence. A self-proclaimed home body, Bri can often be found reading, writing, or spoiling her roommate’s two cats.

 Dan

Dan (he/she/they) is in their fourth year at Mason pursuing a degree in English with a concentration in writing and rhetoric. They enjoy helping others feel they're making the most of their writing and is looking forward to their first full year consulting at the Writing Center. In the future, Dan plans on entering the publishing industry, and appreciates the exposure to different styles and genres that working in the center offers. Outside of consulting, Dan also works as a resident assistant, is a member of the Queer Student Leadership Council, and spent the last two summers working orientation with New Student and Family Programs.

  Danny

Danny is a third year MFA candidate with a concentration in poetry. He studied english, theater, and the Alexander technique at Syracuse University. Then he worked for a number of years producing independent film and theater in NYC. Now he’s settled in DC, teaching yoga and the Alexander technique. He is looking forward to his time at the Writing Center where he hopes to help folks develop their ideas and express their perspective. When not working he likes to stay connected to his friends and big family. He also grows tomatoes and peppers in his garden and plays games like The Long Dark and Stardew Valley on his PC.

 Darcyn

Darcyn (He/Him) is a first-year MFA (non-fiction concentration) student. He grew up in Kentucky and recently received a BFA in creative writing and a BA in psychology from Lakeland University in Wisconsin. Darcyn has four years of experience peer-tutoring undergraduates and working in education at the elementary level. When he isn’t in class, he spends his time trail running (as opposed to hiking), making music, cooking, or playing with his cats. As someone who struggled with finding assurance in his writing, Darcyn believes the most important thing a consultant can do is focus on building confidence in every student, especially those who may not even consider themselves "writers."

 Gracie

Gracie is a first-year MFA creative writing fiction candidate. She received her BA in literature at American University with a minor in art history. She enjoys both reading and writing about the Victorian era, women, and the queer experience and is a big fan of Jane Austen and all three Bronte sisters. She has been writing for six years and hopes to one day become a published author and writing professor. Gracie enjoys historical art and research, she was a museum guide at the Akron art museum prior to her career as a consultant, and a research assistant during her undergraduate career. She loves to talk about writing and is excited to do so with students in the writing center. She also enjoys HBO tv shows, ice cream, and her cat Patsy.

 Gray

Gray (they/them) is a third-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.

 Greeshma

Greeshma is an undergraduate biology student in her junior year at GMU. She is an Honors College student currently on the pre-med track and hopes to eventually work in the medical field. She worked as a writing tutor at her high school’s writing center for over three years and has encountered many types of writers with differing skill sets. Greeshma believes in making better writers, not just better writing, and strongly believes in the importance of helping writers develop skills to help them be independent in future endeavors. She has experience with science-based assignments and projects such as lab reports and research papers, but also enjoys helping with humanities-based research, persuasive essays, and non-fiction writing. Greeshma is bilingual, fluent in English and Telugu (తెలుగు), and while she originally hails from Andhra Pradesh, India, she’s spent most of her life in Northern Virginia. In her spare time, she enjoys reading fantasy and horror books, dancing, and watching superhero movies/shows.

 Homa

Homa has an M.A. in literature from the University of North Florida. Before coming to George Mason, she worked on her Ph.D. in postcolonial literature at the University of Florida, where she taught literature and composition classes as a teaching assistant. She has chosen the poetry concentration but loves writing nonfiction as well. Homa recently completed translating a work of creative nonfiction from Farsi into English and is interested in pursuing more translation projects. She is fluent in English, Farsi, and Urdu. Being a multilingual writer gives her a better grasp of writing issues and challenges that non-native English speakers might face. After a long break from graduate school, she is thrilled to be able to pursue her lifelong passion for poetry as part of a thriving writing community at GMU.

 Hunter

Hunter is a first-year doctoral student in Writing and Rhetoric. He received his BA in Economics from the University of Miami and his MA in English from the University of Alabama in Huntsville along with graduate certificates in Technical Communication and User Experience. He has taught composition at the University of Alabama in Huntsville as well as Purdue Global Online for the last four years. He has spent most of his career teaching first year composition, technical communications, and professional writing courses. To assist his students, he has utilized both in-person and virtual pedagogies. His writing style is built on Plain Language standards and emphasizes accessibility. When he isn’t writing, reading, or thinking about writing, he spends his time playing tabletop roleplaying games, perfecting his chocolate chip cookie recipe, and flying rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft in his flight simulator.

 Jenny

A PhD student in the Writing and Rhetoric program, Jenny taught Composition at Mason for two years and has worked as the Graduate Writing Coordinator and a thesis/diss consultant since 2021. Her recent research focuses on writing centers expanding into learning centers or merging with learning centers, and her dissertation focuses on mindfulness practices to support teachers as they offer written feedback on student writing. Before coming to Mason, Jenny worked for eleven years as a high school English teacher at West Springfield High School (WSHS) -- just down the road from campus. At WSHS she founded and directed the writing center for eight years, and has played an active role in the secondary school writing center movement. Here at the Mason Writing Center, she provides support for graduate writers working on thesis, dissertation, and academic projects and develops workshops for graduate writers. Jenny is also a mother, distance runner, musical theatre nerd, and lover of podcasts and Billy Collins poetry.

 June

June is a second-year graduate student in English. Her concentration is the teaching of writing and literature. Her academic interest is multiculturalism and ESOL. She is an international student. Her undergraduate major was English education, including the senior thesis exploring the connection between reading and writing and the teaching of English. She gained teaching experience through internship in a Chinese junior high school and tutoring Chinese students English. This facilitates her interactive skills with students, especially with ESOL students. She is well-organized and appreciates attention to detail. Also, she is a virtual learner. She encourages students to think critically and independently. June is open-minded and enjoys learning about other cultures.

 Karen

Karen is a graduate student in the Department of Linguistics, a big change from her undergraduate degree in English and Economics. She has an eye for detail and can spot missing commas and incorrect word choices from a mile away. Hailing from Malaysia, she relates with international students and multilingual writers who may find it difficult to grasp American academic writing conventions. Having been in their shoes, she understands that directive feedback and lots of encouragement is the best strategy for improvement. Outside of writing, food is another one of Karen’s passions and she would appreciate being tipped off about hole-in-the-wall restaurants that the locals are trying to gate keep.

 Katey

Katey (she/her) is a first year MFA student with a concentration in poetry. She received her BAs in English and Peace & Justice studies from Regis University in Denver, Colorado, where she also worked as an undergraduate Writing Tutor and Teaching Assistant. Upon graduation, Katey taught high school math and English. Katey is passionate about working with neurodivergent and/or queer students. She sees the writing process as a tool for self-efficacy and social justice, and believes in building a collaborative relationship with writers in her sessions. Katey’s free time is spent roller skating, baking, hiking, and playing with her cat, Thistle.

 Kay

Kay is a third year BFA student in Creative Writing simultaneously pursuing a BA in Organizational and Interpersonal Communication. In addition to their experience with freelance writing, public speaking, and theater, they love to help other students improve their writing, and they believe that no one is a “bad writer.” Living in Saudi Arabia in middle and high school inspired Kay with a love of multi-cultural academic exploration, and they are now ready to step into a world of professional research papers and projects within the realm of international narratology as they write their own novels, with a heavy interest in feminism and inclusion. The English Honors program has been their most enlightening experience at George Mason University, broadening their horizons and perspectives of the world as they prepare to publish their books. When not studying or writing, they enjoy tabletop RPGs, video games, and birdwatching.

 Keerthana

Keerthana is an undergraduate junior at Mason. She is a Criminology, Law and Society major and Forensic Science minor. She is familiar with writing lab reports for Biology and Forensic Science at the undergraduate level. She also has experience working on writing literature reviews, research proposals, and policy analysis papers. She’s excited to learn more about the different writings within each discipline. Keerthana is eager to help individuals become better writers through the help of the writing center. She also thinks it is important for writers to maintain their voice and ideas in their writings. In her free time, she enjoys baking, going on walks, listening to different kinds of music, watching horror movies, and reading thriller and romance novels.

 Kierstin

Kierstin graduated with a BA in English from Towson University in December, 2019. During her time at Towson, Kierstin worked as both a fiction editor and creative non-fiction online editor for Towson’s literary magazine Grub Street. In her final year, she won the Hannah Nathan Rosen Writing Award for a creative non-fiction piece titled, “Letter for My Sister.” Despite escaping school right before the switch to online classes, Kierstin continued online editing and proofreading over the next year and a half while working for Yellow Arrow - a Baltimore-based, female-run literary magazine. In her free time, Kierstin enjoys writing fantasy, watching depressing TV, and cuddling her old, grouchy-but-sweet tuxedo cat, Kena.

 Lindsay

Lindsay is a Ph.D. candidate at George Mason University's Department of Psychology and a NSF NRT Fellow through the Center for Adaptive Systems of Brain-Body Interactions (CASBBI). She is also the recipient of the 2023 OSCAR Mentoring Excellence Award. Her research focuses on investigating how brain structures, such as the prefrontal cortex, contribute to decision-making and learning in humans using behavioral and imaging methods. Prior to Mason, Lindsay received her B.A. in Psychology at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) and worked as a research coordinator at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine's Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences. At the Writing Center, Lindsay is a Thesis/Dissertation Consultant for graduate students. Lindsay has experience reviewing theses, grant applications (NIH, NSF, intramural), manuscripts, and conference submissions (poster, presentation, proceedings). In the Writing Center, she consults with advanced graduate students working on their theses and dissertations.

 Lyz

Lyz is a first-year MFA Creative Fiction Writing student. She received her BA from GMU in English Literature, minoring in Folklore & Mythology. To cap her undergraduate, she wrote an Honors thesis investigating what the fantasy genre offers creative writing pedagogy, received an award for one of her short stories, and has a published title of poetic prose. She has worked alongside a wide variety of people, from first generation immigrants to college students to science research professionals. Through that experience, she discovered the joy of helping people become better writers and communicators, regardless of what they write. When not on campus, she can be found drinking entirely too much tea, writing, reading voraciously with no regard to genre, playing with yarn, and contemplating the dark spaces of the forest around her mountain home. She is currently working on a dark fantasy novel and a second collection of poetic prose.

 Madeline

Madeline is a first-year MFA student studying nonfiction. She earned her BA at Marshall University where she majored in English and minored in Creative and Professional Writing. During her time as an undergraduate, Madeline served as a peer consultant at Marshall University’s Writing Center and worked with a range of students and genres. As a student of nonfiction, Madeline is most interested in writing about gender studies and the women’s healthcare system, but she would love to work with writers from any field of study! Working as a consultant, she hopes to make all writers feel comfortable sharing their work, and she can most often be found with a coffee in hand!

 Mark

Martheaus "Mark" (he/him) is a first-year graduate student with a concentration in poetry. He has a BA in English and Creative Writing from SFASU in Texas. To Mark, there are no dumb questions, lost causes, or bad episodes of Burn Notice. He has experience writing editorials, personal statements, research projects, and other compositions. He’s an easy-going person to collaborate with, so there’s no need for nerves. His philosophy is that, with patience, all writers can create something they're confident in. Give him your tired writers, your open-ended prompts, your huddled sentences yearning to figure out where in-text citations go!

 Maya

Maya (she/they) is a first year MFA poetry candidate. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Human Services--which is like social work, non-profit management, counseling, sociology--from Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA. Her experience interning on an animal therapy farm prepared her to support writers through the emotions of writing. Maya is happy to tackle any project with you, but she particularly enjoys personal statements, cover letters, and any other form of personal writing. It took Maya four days to drive here from Boise, ID (her hometown). She had never seen so much corn. Languages: English

 McKenan

McKenan is a first-year MFA candidate studying creative writing with a concentration in fiction. He has received a BA and MA in English from Texas Tech University. After having taught introductory college writing courses for two years and participating in state-of-the-art research for grading contracts in undergraduate pedagogy, McKenan is well-equipped to work with writers in various genres, subject matters, and rhetorical situations while prioritizing inclusivity and equity. Mostly, McKenan hopes to learn alongside each writer during their consultation sessions. When he’s not writing or reading, McKenan can be found watching the Lord of the Rings movies, listening to Taylor Swift, or obsessing over Superman and Jin from BTS (sometimes simultaneously).

 Olivia

Olivia is a current graduate student pursuing a Master of Arts in English Literature. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English and Psychology from the College of William & Mary (Go Tribe!). She also has experience in writing for Music, Gender Studies, Creative Writing, and Religion classes. Olivia has seen immense improvement in her own writing from her freshman year to her senior year and believes that through practice anyone can become a great writer. She was also a part of the William & Mary Pep Band as Associate Band Director and Social Chair and a member of the Music Fraternity, Delta Tau Omicron, as second Vice President. If she is not reading or creative writing in her free time, Olivia enjoys painting on her balcony. She also has been playing the clarinet for 13 years and has a pitbull mixed dog named Mango.

 Pari

Pari (they/them) is an undergraduate senior in the BFA Creative Writing program with a concentration in poetry and a minor in Linguistics. They were born and raised in Ahvaz, Iran, and their first language is Persian. As an immigrant who had to figure out academic writing in English by themself, they believe strongly that in helping others to gain the tools they need for employing the medium of the English language to its fullest. They want to help others give justice to what they want to communicate in writing and be confident in their work. In their free time, they enjoy cooking, Persian rock music, and video games.

 Radhika

Radhika is a first year MFA Creative Writing student with a concentration in Fiction. She received her BA in Government and International Affairs from GMU. Radhika immigrated to America when she was four years old and lived overseas for ten years that allowed her to interact with different cultures from around the world. She worked for the Federal Government utilizing professional writing in her role as a Contract Officer. She is excited to work with students that are both native English and multilingual speakers. She believes writing is a collaborative effort and the best writing takes time, practice, and patience. Radhika is a mother, a runner, and loves watching cooking shows when she's procrastinating.

 Reema

Reema is a senior undergraduate student majoring in Business with a concentration in Marketing. She also plans to minor in Professional and Technical Writing. Along with her writing experiences in her Business major, Reema has also dealt with writing from disciplines of Biology, English, History, and Philosophy. Previously working as a private English tutor has allowed her to become well-versed in guiding writers through their understanding of literary texts and composition of analytical and argumentative essays. Outside her world of academics, Reema also has a great passion for writing poetry and hopes to pass on her passion for writing to others. She looks forward to working with writers and supporting them in their writing journeys.

 Rob

Rob is a graduate level MFA student focused on Creative Writing and creative essaying. He has workshopped with published authors, served as a genre editor for a literary journal, taught a professionalization course as a Teacher’s Assistant at Salisbury University where he received his BA, and he has been published multiple times himself. When Rob isn’t in class, or at the Writing Center, he is likely to be found in the woods behind his house drinking too many cups of tea and reading books about strange historical events. Before Rob joined academia he had a job as an animal handler where he would crawl under houses with a flashlight to flush out scared or trapped animals. Why is this important? Because whether you are a poised professional seeking publication or you feel like a scared raccoon in the dark, Rob is happy to help.

 Roo

Roo is a third-year undergraduate student majoring in English with a concentration in Cultural Studies. They have taken a variety of courses at GMU concerning media studies and critical writing. Roo focuses heavily on persuasive and analysis writing, and they prioritize structure in their writing process. Roo’s identity as a Queer Filipino American has led them to study LGBTQ+ literature and cultural exploration, and these identities have become a staple in their writing. As a consultant, they hope to encourage writer’s critical voices. Roo aims to prioritize accessibility in their consulting sessions, so if you prefer written feedback, they might be the consultant for you. Roo also has a cat named Fig and loves when writers share pictures of their pets!

 Samuel

Samuel (He/Him) is a Junior majoring in information technology. He enjoys playing six-string bass, experimenting with Linux, writing, and reading—with his favorite book being Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson. He has multiple experiences in professional writing, having worked for IRIS on summarizing books and for TekSynap on writing proposal responses for the United States Army Information Technology Enterprise Solutions - 3 Services (ITES-3S) contract. Sam has loved writing since childhood, and he is so excited for the opportunity to help others gain confidence in their writing. He most enjoys writing non-fiction, but he also genuinely likes the process of writing a good research paper. While he knows he’s weird in his enjoyment of academic writing, he hopes to spread that joy to other people who might not like writing as much.

 Scott

Scott (he/they) graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in Gender and Women’s Studies. He is currently a fiction candidate in Mason’s creative writing Master of Fine Arts program. Before coming to Mason, Scott learned that he wasn’t destined for an acting career; worked at his alma mater in student-supporting programs; and taught English to Japanese high schoolers through the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme. While Scott’s undergraduate degree was in the social sciences, he spent significant time studying art history, theater, film, student affairs, Spanish language/literature, and French and Italian language/culture. Scott looks forward to working with students as they develop their skills as writers and build the confidence to use those skills throughout their careers at Mason and beyond. An avid walker, Scott also enjoys pop culture podcasts and noodles of all kinds. Scream is his favorite film series.

 Sumaya

Sumaya is a second-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.

 Taylor

Taylor (she/her) is an MFA candidate here at Mason, focusing on poetry. Her previous school was Utah State where she got her B.A. in journalism, and her M.S. in creative writing. She specializes in the confessional poetry of Sylvia Plath and the modern works of Ada Limón. She has teaching experience in introductory composition and two years of consulting experience in a wide range of genres. She understands not everyone loves writing, but she knows that improvement is possible for everyone. Her pedagogy centers on understanding students have lives outside of the classroom, and helping students to feel comfortable in authenticity. Her Duolingo streak in French is at almost a year and elle veut parler avec les étudiants français. When Taylor’s not at the writing center she likes getting buckets on dudes who underestimate her at the rec center.

 Vincenzo

Vincenzo is a senior undergraduate at GMU majoring in Psychology. Originally from Italy, he came to the United States to attend Northern Virginia Community College and most recently, following his graduation, George Mason University in pursuit of higher education. After a lifetime of speaking Italian, Vincenzo experienced the many challenges that multilingual writers face upon moving to the States; this experience made him passionate about supporting multilingual students maintain and express their identity in writing while achieving their goals. In his free time, Vincenzo spends his time cooking, playing with his dogs, and deepening his knowledge of neuroscience and neurobiology.

 Zuha

Zuha is a third-year undergraduate majoring in Computer Science and minoring 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.