A few months after graduating Summa Cum Laude from Skidmore College, I found myself staring at a class of seventh graders who were staring straight back at me expecting me to do the improbable: teach them something.

It was intimidating and exhilarating, and that feeling never left me.

I have taught middle and high school English in half a dozen independent schools from California to New Hampshire.

I pride myself on cultivating close relationships with students by remaining authentic and approachable while also earning their trust by actually helping them write better.

Over the last 20 years, I’ve developed a unique method for helping students compose highly effective and personal essays.

Whether it’s the common application essay or the Yale supplementals, I have helped hundreds of students write pieces that make them shine.

And I do it in a calm and measured way that makes each writer feel confident and capable.

When it’s over, they point to the essay and say, “That’s me.”

And, I say, “That’s right.”

When I was 16, I fell in love with the written word, and that feeling has never left me.

On most mornings and evenings, you’ll find me writing short stories or working on a novel. I’ve published more than 20 short stories in journals such as Witness and Salamander. My stories have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize five times.

And I’ve been rejected by some of the best literary journals in the country.

The point is that I’m in the arena. I’ve faced rejection and won acceptance, and each day I wake up ready for the chase.

About fifteen years ago, I looked up from my lesson plans and wondered what else I could learn and offer.

It turns out that the Director of Communications is really the Director of Story — I actually changed my title at my current job to include that moniker.

I work in the world of content marketing and strategic communications. And I like it.