SpeakFirst Middle School Coach
During my year of service with Impact Alabama, I was a middle school debate coach in a Birmingham city school. Twice a week for most of the academic year, I worked with my co-coach to create and implement lesson plans for around 15 middle school students. It was my first experience in a classroom, and it gave me the opportunity to push out of my comfort zone and support, challenge, and teach my students. While the program focused around academic debate, we also talked about teamwork and character. We wanted our students to learn to dedicate their free time to productive extracurricular activities. Coaching debate often had its challenges, especially as neither I nor my co-coach had experience in classroom management. However, we were able to work with our students to improve their rhetoric skills. We ended up placing third at two of the four tournaments, and many of our students received recognition for their public speaking and case writing.
ePortfolio Ambassador
I was an ePortfolio Ambassador for Auburn University's ePortfolio Project for three years. The ePortfolio Project is a part of Auburn’s Office of University Writing’s mission to increase the amount of writing done across campus. I believe ePortfolios are an excellent way to implement writing into the curriculum. Not only are they useful to the student throughout their academic and professional career, but they also require a good amount of reflective writing. Through this reflective writing students can draw together their unique experiences. These invaluable connections allow students to market themselves to any number of internship, graduate program, or career opportunities (just as I am doing now!).
As an ePortfolio Ambassador, I work with students and faculty to teach them about ePortfolios and help them create their own. This includes website building on drag-and-drop platforms like Wix and Weebly, writing, editing, and design. So far I have given presentations to both students and faculty concerning different aspects of ePortfolios. In November of 2014, I had the opportunity to present with a group of fellow Auburn ePortfolio ambassadors at a regional conference (AAEEBL). We were the only student group to give a presentation and facilitate a discussion. At this conference, I not only learned more about ePortfolios, but I also improved my teamwork and public speaking skills. Not many undergraduates have the chance to attend, let alone present, at conferences, and I am so thankful to the ePortfolio Project for giving me this opportunity.
As an ePortfolio Ambassador, I work with students and faculty to teach them about ePortfolios and help them create their own. This includes website building on drag-and-drop platforms like Wix and Weebly, writing, editing, and design. So far I have given presentations to both students and faculty concerning different aspects of ePortfolios. In November of 2014, I had the opportunity to present with a group of fellow Auburn ePortfolio ambassadors at a regional conference (AAEEBL). We were the only student group to give a presentation and facilitate a discussion. At this conference, I not only learned more about ePortfolios, but I also improved my teamwork and public speaking skills. Not many undergraduates have the chance to attend, let alone present, at conferences, and I am so thankful to the ePortfolio Project for giving me this opportunity.
Miller Writing Center Tutor
The Miller Writing Center is a part of Auburn’s Office of University Writing’s initiative to increase quality writing throughout the student body. Instead of simply editing students’ papers, the tutors at MWC interact one-on-one with students to talk about direction, flow, and clarity within a paper. We help with every step of the writing process and with every type of writing, not just analytical English papers.
I worked as a writing tutor at MWC for three years. So far my experiences with MWC have helped me with my communication and teaching skills and have shown me that every person learns differently. I love how every new student presents a new style of writing and a new set of challenges. I believe my work with MWC will expose me to many different types of writing and many different types of people, which will translate well into a career in writing and communication.
More than anything, I love the writing center community. Each staff member brings a different perspective and set of experiences that leads to deep, thoughtful, and intellectual discussions during our staff meetings and professional development sessions. It is a unique and wonderful experience to be surrounded by students who enjoy arguing over writing center philosophy as much as I do.
Throughout my time with MWC, I have participated on the Hiring Committee and the Social Media Committee. The Hiring Committee has allowed me to experience the hiring process from the other side of table. I improved my own interview skills and learned a lot about what employers value through this process.
I worked as a writing tutor at MWC for three years. So far my experiences with MWC have helped me with my communication and teaching skills and have shown me that every person learns differently. I love how every new student presents a new style of writing and a new set of challenges. I believe my work with MWC will expose me to many different types of writing and many different types of people, which will translate well into a career in writing and communication.
More than anything, I love the writing center community. Each staff member brings a different perspective and set of experiences that leads to deep, thoughtful, and intellectual discussions during our staff meetings and professional development sessions. It is a unique and wonderful experience to be surrounded by students who enjoy arguing over writing center philosophy as much as I do.
Throughout my time with MWC, I have participated on the Hiring Committee and the Social Media Committee. The Hiring Committee has allowed me to experience the hiring process from the other side of table. I improved my own interview skills and learned a lot about what employers value through this process.