Sandra

Certified Tutor

I received both of my degrees from the University of Pittsburgh. I have a B.A. in English Writing and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing. The focus of my master's degree was on Fiction and Poetry; however, while at Pitt, I received a graduate fellowship that involved teaching a freshman course in English Composition and tutoring at Pitt's Writing Center. The Writing Center is open to any student at the University and students in any discipline can come for tutoring. For example, I might first see a freshman requesting assistance on a short essay for a History course, and my next client might be a graduate student working on a thesis in Philosophy or Economics. I believe that good writing skills are the foundation for success in any discipline. My teaching style could best be described as one where students/teachers contribute equally to discussion and the choice of what to write. Always, always ask questions. Questions will open up new avenues of where you want your writing to go.

After graduation, I worked as an adjunct faculty member at Pitt, Jefferson Community College in Steubenville, Ohio, and Duquesne University. The subjects I most commonly taught were English Composition courses and Writing for Business. I also taught Creative Writing for the Western Pennsylvania Writing Project (a summer program for middle and high school students) and did community outreach for women in a local halfway house where we worked on journals and poetry.
I have experience in legal writing from many years of employment as a paralegal with a prominent Pittsburgh attorney and have also worked as an administrator at the University of Pittsburgh in the Center for International Studies.

I have a lifelong love of literature and typically read at least one novel a week. I will read anything, but my preference is Twentieth Century American writers.