My academic training has been rigorous and my life experiences diverse. I have a B.Sc. in environmental biology and an M.Phil in American Studies from Yale. After working towards an M.A. in teaching English, I taught in the classroom for fourteen years and honed my passion for teaching writing. In between my time in academia, I’ve been a commercial fisherman, a journalist, a nationally-ranked skier, a farmhand, and, most importantly, a mom—all of which helps me connect with a wide range of students and their life stories.
I’ve been coaching students through prep school, college, and grad school applications since 2005 and have built a strong track record of success. Over the years, the students I’ve worked with have matriculated to a cornucopia of institutions, including (in no particular order) University of Pennsylvania, MIT, Middlebury, Columbia, Swarthmore, Tulane, Villanova, Bowdoin, Bard, Boston University, Harvard, University of Chicago, Wesleyan, Bates, University of Vermont, University of Washington, Oberlin, Macalester, Northeastern, Northwestern, Dartmouth, UCLA, UC Berkeley, UCSB, UCSD, USC, Stanford, Cal Poly, Gonzaga, Colby, Georgia Tech, Georgetown, Claremont McKenna, Pitzer, LMU, SCU, Colorado College, NYU, Colgate, Yale, Hamilton, Hotchkiss, St. Paul’s, Thacher, and the Cate School. I claim minimal credit in these admissions. The most important variables are always the student’s consistent effort, commitment to things larger than themselves, and total engagement with the writing process.