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The Writing Center promotes effective written communication across disciplines by offering personalized, collaborative tutorials and outreach initiatives, which emphasize writing as a process and empower students to write with confidence in their academic and professional pursuits.
The Writing Center aspires to be a safe place for students to work on all stages of the writing process with the personalized assistance of experienced tutors who instill confidence and guide students toward successful writing practices.
Who We Are:
"The Writing Center has had a huge impact in my life as a student, of course, but most of all,
the people there that help me—I got to know them better, as well." (Elaine S., OTA program)
Amber (she/her) received her A.A. and A.A.S from Stark State, where she also published several articles in the Stark Voices newsletter - including an article on the Writing Center! She then proceeded to get her B.A. in English from Kent State Stark. Currently, she is studying for her M.A. in English at KSU. She loves coffee more than anything and spends far too much time cleaning up cat hair from her clan of kitties. She bounced between retail jobs before settling as a Writing Assistant here at Stark State. She hopes that her M.A. will lead her to new and exciting opportunities.
Angie (she/her), sometimes known as “the History one,” received BAs in both English and History at Kent State University and an MA in History at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She has been working in Writing Centers for more than 15 years. While she believes that each student is unique and there is no “one-size-fits-all” way to tutor, Angie tries to create an active, dialogue-driven atmosphere. When not working with students, she enjoys writing fiction, watching horror films, and wandering aimlessly through the woods.
Anthony (he/him) received his B.A. in English from Kent State University (2018). He joined the Stark State Writing Center in August 2019. His approach to working with students is keeping an open dialogue, remaining objective, and possessing a calm, empathetic demeanor. His hobbies and interests include reading, writing, and literary studies. He also enjoys music, old books, digital archives, animals, and being in nature.
Ben (he/him) got his BA in English (with minors in Political Science and Adolescent Young Adult Education) from Baldwin Wallace in 2012, the same year he started working as a tutor in the Stark State Writing Center. In 2015, he earned his TEFL certification to teach English as a foreign language and help expand the Writing Center’s offerings for ELL students. Since 2017, he’s worked full time as a writer and editor in web marketing, but he still moonlights at the Writing Center. Ben loves to share his love of writing with students and help them find the best way to express whatever they’re thinking (let the student be the guide!). He loves music, movies, and comic books, with a particular affinity for heavy metal, horror fiction, and the films of John Carpenter. He owns far too many t-shirts.
Bobbi (she/her) earned her BA in English in 1985 and her MA in English in 1993, both from The University of Akron. She taught English for 35 years at GlenOak High School (Plain Local Schools), retiring in 2021. She started in the Writing Center in January, 2023 and believes she has found the perfect job because she loved teaching, but she did not love all of the "stuff" that comes with it. The Writing Center is a nice fit for her as she enjoys working with students of all levels, seeing them learn and grow in their writing. She likes the one-on-one time she gets with students, which she feels was hard to find in the large classroom setting. When she is not working, she enjoys trips to Vegas, walking, biking, and golfing with her husband.
Christopher (Chris) (he/him) earned both his Bachelor’s (English, 2010) and Master’s (English Composition, 2013) degrees from The University of Akron, while also holding a Minor in Professional Writing and a Certificate in Professional Communication. He has worked with Stark State College’s Writing Center since Spring 2022. In addition to his duties at Stark State, Chris also teaches English Composition at The University of Akron. Chris loves interacting with students and letting them “be themselves” during classes and individual sessions. Chris is a firm believer that the key to reaching students is to “meet them where they are”, and then empowering them to do great things. In his free time (what is that?), Chris is a craft beer enthusiast who regularly travels to breweries, both local and distant, and is also a lifelong fan of professional wrestling (it’s still real to me!) He currently lives in Akron’s culturally diverse Highland Square area with his cat, Macey Grace, as he awaits the arrival of his first-born son with his partner in July 2022.
Corrie (she, her) is a Kent State graduate who began working in writing centers in 2012 and made her way to Stark State in 2014. She loves reading the variety of papers each semester brings. Her approach is to meet the student where they are, and help with individual needs. She enjoys sports, trivia, and thinking about what’s for dinner.
Devon (she/her/hers) - After earning her Master’s degree in Higher Education, Devon decided to utilize it in tandem with her Bachelor’s in English and help students with all things writing, student success, and advocating for LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and disabled students of all walks of life. Her approach to working with students is simple: the student is Beyonce - taking charge and driving the show with their voice - while Devon unleashes her inner Kelly Rowland - hyping up the student with advice, motivation, and assistance as needed and with consent (and killer hair flips). Devon thrives off of showing students how powerful, brilliant, and unstoppable they really are through the power of writing; she hasn’t been wrong yet! When not working (when exactly is that again?) Devon writes queer YA novels (Well, one of them so far, Hold Me Down by Dev Anders… check it out; it doesn’t suck!), spends time with her three daughters teaching them to breathe fire and worship nature and Her gifts, spends way too much money and time on their small zoo of pets, is totally not addicted to Animal Crossing: New Horizons, gets tattoos, and listens to loud music of the punk, metal, and hard rock varieties. In her super duper fancy professional life, she is the development specialist for a local nonprofit, writing grants and making community connections to help aging Ohioans live their best lives.
Emilia (she/her) has worked in writing centers since 2009 and at Stark State since 2011. She graduated in 2011 with English, French, and art minors and a BA in psychology – all subjects she continues to study both on purpose and accidentally. At Stark State, she loves meeting people of all ages and backgrounds and hearing their stories and thoughts, and helping them put those in writing (when, and how, they need to). In her approach, she hopes students find warmth and humor while knowing they are taken very seriously.
Faith (she/her) received her BA in English from Kent State University in 2017. She previously tutored at Kent State Tuscarawas’ Writing Center and directed the student literary magazine Flashfires for one year. Faith then spent four years in the publishing industry as an assistant managing editor. In September 2022, she began at Stark State’s Writing Center. Faith values the one-on-one aspect of tutoring where students hopefully become comfortable working through the vulnerabilities that writing and learning bring. She aims to actively listen to aid students in areas they’re concerned with and to provide engaged reader response. Being outdoors, whether biking, power walking through town, hiking Ohio’s many nature parks, or recreating in/near water, is necessary for Faith’s sanity; she also loves museums and chances to hear live music.
Hannah (she/her) earned her BA in English at Kent State in 2013. During her final year of study, she worked as a writing tutor at the student-run Writing Center on Kent State Stark’s campus. Since then, she has pursued two passions in her career: coffee and tutoring! Hannah has worked as a barista and cafe manager in addition to tutoring, in Ohio initially, then for a time on the west coast, and then back to Ohio again. She has been a writing tutor at Stark State since 2017, and truly enjoys interacting with students. In particular, she enjoys helping students discover nontraditional ways to learn. Hannah’s family includes her husband, toddler, and new baby!
Joey (he/him) earned his BA in English Literature with a minor in writing and a certificate to Teach English as a Foreign Language from Kent State University (2018). He has been working for Stark State College’s Writing Center and ELL Lab since fall 2018. When tutoring, he likes to view himself as a facilitator of students’ stories, especially from Akron’s immigrant and refugee populations. He enjoys brainstorming and exploratory sessions the most where he can help students organize their ideas and discover topics they’re passionate about. In his free time he enjoys writing fiction, watching cozy movies and true crime documentaries with his partner, and spending time with his cats.
Nathan (he/him) has a BFA from Bowling Green State University and a MA from Antioch University Midwest. At night he tutors Stark State students. During the day he works for the state of Ohio “Aspire” program where he teaches adult students the skills necessary to: get their high school diploma, develop college and career readiness skills, and help students from other countries get their U.S. citizenship. He approaches all student writing with mindfulness and honesty through direct communication while meeting the students wherever they might be in the writing process.
Steven (he/him) graduated in 2014 with a BA in English. He has been tutoring in writing and the humanities since 2012, since 2014 at Stark State. His favorite part of working at Stark State is getting to know its incredible, diverse community. Since writing is important in all disciplines, he is especially passionate about learning what students care about and helping them discover new ways of communicating their knowledge beyond just their College Comp classes.
Terri (she/her) earned a Bachelor’s in Communications from Ohio University and a Master’s in writing from Johns Hopkins. She started working in the writing lab in Spring of 2022. She has taught students from preschool age to college level and loves helping others find their unique voice in their writing. She has a husband and three terrific kids. In her free time she enjoys cooking delicious meals and pairing them with just the right wine, writing, reading, and attempting to learn how to play a ukulele (she has a long way to go…)