I grew up in Los Angeles with a passion for writing and naturally gravitated toward screenwriting. After getting a degree in Dramatic Writing from NYU, I worked in the film industry for many years, assisting actors, agents and producers with story development and analysis of screenplays.

I have always had a special interest in true stories, and this led me to attain a master’s degree in Creative Nonfiction from Antioch University in 2000. Afterward, I became a full-time professor in the English Department at Metropolitan State University of Denver and went on to write and publish a how-to-book on writing screenplays based on true stories and a memoir about my childhood growing up in L.A. in the 1970’s.

As my own kids progressed through the K-12 years, I became increasingly active in teaching young writers. I’ve taught and led workshops for high school students as faculty for Denver’s Lighthouse Young Writers Program for almost a decade and have helped dozens of young writers express themselves on the page in classrooms across the Denver area. Additionally, I have continued to work as a writing coach and editor and have found that I truly love the process of helping someone give birth to, develop, revise and edit their writing.

Much to the shock of the teenagers I know, I also love writing essays myself.  I see the essay form as an exciting opportunity to not just tell a true story, but also to express personal values, lessons learned, dreams and goals. Recently, I realized I could combine my passion for teaching writing to young people with my love for essays by re-training to become a college essay specialist.  In the last few years, I’ve learned a great deal about this particular genre of writing, and it has been a real pleasure to work with high school students and help them shape their true stories into successful application essays.  I am excited to join the College Bound Mentor team, and I look forward to helping many more students in the future.

Having trouble telling your story? I can help!