‘Ello, ‘ello, hola! Ciao and bonjour! (Sorry, I don’t actually know Italian and French, but I needed to complete the line. It’s a Pokémon reference.) My name is Kelly, and I’m an all-around wordsmith, providing support in all areas of English, from high school and college-level English and writing to the Reading and Writing sections of the ACT and SAT. I also work with Insight’s Counseling Team as an Essay Specialist, helping YOU stand out to the colleges on your list—and potentially get some scholarship money, if that is something you wish to apply for. I received a B.A. (Bachelor’s of Arts) in English Language & Literature from Smith College, where I made Dean’s List and won two (cash-prize) essay awards. That wasn’t enough for me, though, because the VERY NEXT thing I did was go to graduate school, specifically Harvard Graduate School of Education, to earn an M.Ed. (Master’s of Education), with a specialty in Human Development and Education and the Higher Education sector. Yes, indeed, I am That Person ™ who really likes school—so much that I decided I want to work in schools! Most recently, I taught an intro-level general education writing course, ENGL 1007 Seminar in Multimodal Composition and Academic Writing, at the University of Connecticut, so I am intimately familiar with the trials, tribulations, but also triumphs of the first year of college (which are quite similar no matter where you go), as well as the kinds of things that makes professors tic.
Not enough words to describe who I am? Now you’re speaking my language!
Beyond the various letters after my name, I am a gamer. (Could you tell?) I grew up with only Nintendo Consoles (hence the many Pokémon references), but I’m expanding out to include Steam in my repertoire as well. I enjoy RPGs (Yay for words!) and roguelites (RogueLITE and not rogueLIKE, but I need some level of progression in return for the hours I sink in). I also (unsurprisingly, perhaps) like to write. I’ve actually published a young-adult novel, called All Ways. Lastly, I’m passionate about disability culture, history, and advocacy. How passionate? I created a public-facing website about the differences between the K12 and higher education system for students with disabilities on my own time.
While I live, I want to shine. (Believe it or not, another Pokémon quote!) The way I have chosen to do that in my life is to help others tap into their brilliance as well, so we can twinkle both as individual stars and band together in the sky of history as constellations. (No, I will not apologize for using metaphors.) If you would prefer a simile, my advising style is to be like a co-pilot: I might have a map of the area, but you are the one who picks the destination and knows the vehicle best. We work together. As I said before, I will not apologize for using metaphors, and if you’ve heard this one before, it’s for a good reason: Life is a marathon, not a sprint. We are best able to maintain our stamina (and our equally-vital sense of curiosity) when we communicate and BOTH make agreements.
I will leave you with this last nugget of wisdom: “It is what you do with the gift of life [and education] that determines who you are.” (A third Pokémon quote to end this off—this time, an oldie but goodie! If you don’t already know about the Rule of Threes, we’ll talk about it. :P)
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