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Fall 2006 Write Place Staff |
Aqib and Daniel |
Sarah Smith
Hi! I’m a first year graduate student, focusing on teaching college English. I began my post-high school career in 1997 at a two-year college in my hometown of Brainerd, MN. Some four years later I finished my AA degree. Then I spent some time in Texas, I think I was trying to ‘find myself.’ Well, I found myself back in school at the University of MN-Duluth. I spent one enlightening semester there before transferring to SCSU. I spent three years at SCSU working on my bachelor’s degree in Philosophy. In May of 2005 I graduated, and continued to take ‘interesting’ classes at SCSU while waiting to hear back on my applications to various graduate schools. Eventually I decided to apply at SCSU for a MA in English, mostly because I love literature, and partly because I thought it might help me get a ‘real job.’ I love trying new things, and I look forward to this new adventure!.
Luke Schaaf
Aloha! I am a second year graduate student at SCSU and working on my MA thesis. I have previous experience as a high school English teacher in both Wisconsin and Hawaii, but am I looking to try teaching at a community college or perhaps overseas. I enjoy biking, skiing, cooking, painting, playing guitar, and watching movies.
Valerie Anderson
Hello! I’m a second-year graduate student at SCSU, going for my MA in TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language.) I grew up in the small town of Granite Falls, MN, and then moved to Morris to earn my BA in Elementary Education at the University of Minnesota. I like glow-in-the-dark stickers, plinko, corn, and Radiohead. I dislike spiders, public speaking, and St. Cloud’s stoplights.
Alex Pickens
A paragraph about me? What would people want to know? Who would even read this? Well, for one who has stumbled upon this page, I’ll do my best. I am a graduate student here at St. Cloud State, and I recently graduated with my BA in literature. I’m a sucker for puppies, and my biggest pet peeve is when people listen to their high school teachers who claimed that conventions are the only thing that makes or breaks your writing. The quote that keeps me humble as an English major is “interpretation is the revenge of intellect upon art.” And I try to remember that even Hemmingway wasn't perfect. He said, "All first drafts are..." Well, you know the rest.
Cindy Deuser
Hello! I'm in my final semester (if all goes well with my thesis) as a grad student going for my Master's in Teaching English as a Second Language. It will also be my fourth semester as a Write Place tutor and third semester as assistant director. It's a job I love. My undergrad degree was in English with an emphasis in creative writing. So I have a strong interest in that area but I really like working on all kinds of writing, whether it's helping someone with their resume, short response paper, or thesis. I really enjoy meeting people and talking to students about their interests as well as their writing. My interests are traveling, running (I'm a member of the Write Place Running Club), and my dog, Henry (who occasionally visits the writing center. Hope to meet you soon!
Nathan Jacobson
Hello! My name is Nathan Jacobson and I’m currently a 4th year student. I’m working as the desk worker this summer at the Write Place, and it’s very enjoyable! I’ve basically completed a Bachelor of Arts in Music (voice), except for piano lessons and piano proficiency; I’m also a Psychology major. I am part of the SCSU Concert Choir, Chamber Singers and Men’s choir and have been since my 1st year here. I have been in a variety of theatrical productions in St. Cloud, such as: “Forever Plaid” as Smudge, “The Fantasticks” as El Gallo, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” as Asher, and “Into the Woods” as Rapunzel’s Prince. I've studied German for 6 years, 4 years in High School and 2 years here at SCSU. The best part about being so fluent in German is dreaming in German. Not to mention while dreaming I speak words I didn't "know" in waking reality, then, later looking them up and finding they are indeed real German words! I’m an Oshune Reiki (O-shyoon RAY-key) Master/Teacher and have practiced for over 3 years, if you don’t know what Reiki is, stop on by and ask me! I also practice Transcendental Meditation and plan to attend The Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, IA after I graduate from SCSU to study Vedic Science and hopefully study Ayurveda and Jyotish in-depth. Namaste.
Jana Shepard
After earning my AA degree at Lake Superior College in Duluth, MN in 2004, I transferred to SCSU to major in English. As a non-traditional student who has been out of school for a long time, the dream of a Bachelors degree finally became reality when I graduated from SCSU with a degree in Creative Writing and a minor in Art. Why stop now, I thought. So I didn’t. I applied for graduate school and was accepted. Gasp. I am now in my second year as a grad student with serious plans to finish this year.
David Coss
Hello, my name is David Coss. Currently I am a 5th year undergraduate. I am majoring in Philosophy with a minor in Linguistics. This is also my third year of being a tutor in The Write Place. My current academic interests include Cognitive Science, cultural evolution and evolutionary psychology. I also enjoy music (especially Tool), and am totally obsessed with Family Guy.
Kari Martin
Hello! My name is Kari and I graduated with my B.A. in English from SCSU in December 2006. After realizing how crummy the real world can be I decided to come back to school. This is my first semester as a grad student and also my first time working in the Write Place. I hope to someday teach in the college setting but for right now I’m content taking care of my dog and watching CSI.
Daniel Boe
No matter how much I love what I do over the summer, I somehow always seem find myself coming back to Minnesota (origionally from Bloomington -- a suburb of Minneapolis). The past two summers I have lived in Chelan, Washington on a small farm in a seasonal cabin designed for migrant workers (more popularly known as a "cabinita"). I have finally decided to pursue a degree in music performance here at S.C.S.U after taking a year of general education credits as a freshman. I love reading, writing, listening to and creating my own poetry and music as long as it comes from the heart. The beauty of the Earth, the Sun, and the mystery of the universe all speak to me in different ways and make me who I am.
Vanessa Fox
Hey guys! My name is Vanessa and I'm already a senior!! Yikes! I don't care what anyone says, the college years fly by. So what do you want to know about me? I have worked at the Write Place for three years and I absolutely love the staff and company we have. I also work with REM as a personal care attendant and volunteer in the Rehabilitation Clinic at Centracare. I am going to Graduate School for Occupational Therapy in the Fall and I am excited to venture out into a climate other than Minnesota. My passions are: dance, laughing, sunshine, traveling, and helping others. Anytime you want, stop in the Write Place and say hi or schedule an appointment - we're all easy going and will probably give you a laugh or two! Look forward to seeing you.
Melissa (Missy) Knudson
Hi, there! My name is Missy Knudson and this year I'll be a junior at SCSU, majoring in Communication Arts & Literature. I'm originally from Sartell, which is like 15 minutes down the road. I like English but my passion is for education, so I hope I can enlighten you in some way! I'm one of the Group Fitness Coordinators here at SCSU and I love teaching SCSU Group Fitness classes. I thoroughly enjoy laughing, cotton candy flavored anything and animals. My current dislikes are when parents obnoxiously discipline their children in public and snakes. This is my first year as a tutor, so please, give me a break :)
Megan Sieben
I’m a senior this year!!! So I’m very excited and scared about that! This is also going to be my fourth year here at the Write Place. I have enjoyed my time here at state and at the Write Place over the last few years and when it is time to go I’ll miss them both very much! I also work at Bakers Square, so if you are hungry for some delicious pie come stop by. I enjoy playing lot’s of intramurals including dodgeball, volleyball, basketball, and softball. I also play on summer volleyball and softball leagues. In my free time, which is very little, I like to read good books, go shopping, hang out with my 5 roomies and friends, organize stuff, and work out. Since I enjoy keeping myself busy is why I can do all the things I do:)
Pa Nhia Xiong
I am a fourth year student majoring in English and this will be my second semester working at the Write Place. I am from St. Paul, MN and love to sing when I have nothing to do or when I don’t feel like doing anything at all. I also work for the Office of Admissions as a tour guide and a customer service representative; so you will be seeing me every now and then with prospective students.
Jon Shadden
I am a nearly middle-aged computer and gaming geek going back three decades. I spent eight years plus learning electronics and pinball repair and I still enjoy it as a hobby. I have an Associate of Arts and bachelor's degree in English literature and writing with a minor in rhetoric, been on the writing staff of Amiga Point of View and Eurogamer online magazines, and even spent a year scoring the ACT and numerous state standardized tests (but don’t hold that against me). I was on the tutoring staff at Anoka Ramsey Community College during my tenure there, and I am anxious for another go at it.
Emily Forsberg
Hi, I’m Emily. I graduated from SCSU in May of 2006 with my BA in English (Rhetoric and Applied Writing) and a minor in Spanish. Being a college student was such a positive and enlightening time in my life; so it did not take me long to decide to return for graduate school this fall. I love language and examining how it works, and I am so excited to use that passion to help others in their writing. I have no doubt that working in the Write Place will not only teach me a lot about English and teaching, but it will also provide me with the opportunities to meet many remarkable people and to make great friends. I can’t wait to meet you!
Susan Johnson
I commute from Alexandria where I live with my husband Paul and English springer spaniel, Lincoln. I have taught English/language arts at Hopkins North Jr. High, Alexandria, Evansville, and most recently Wadena-Deer Creek. I graduated from Concordia College, Moorhead with a B.A. in English; this is my first year in the MA English program at SCSU. I golf in the summer, spend time with my kids, read constantly (mostly mysteries) and research my family tree. I look foward to working in the Write Place and helping students with their writing. I believe everyone has a story to tell so I hope you will stop and share yours with me!
Emily Nguyen
This is my fourth year here at St. Cloud State University, and I am studying Linguistics and Spanish. I would like to go to graduate school after graduating, but I’m not going to restrict myself to only that possibility at this point in my life either. I’m interested in English syntax and phonology, and I am continually looking for ways to practice Spanish so I don’t lose everything I learned while studying in Chile for a semester. During any free moment that I have, I’m either spending time with family and friends or thinking about how I should be running since I recently joined the Write Place Running Club. Well, this is enough about me, and I hope to see all of you soon in the Write Place.
Virginia (Rosie) Glynn
I read, a lot. I like science fiction and fantasy novels and lately I've been getting into graphic novels. I recommend reading "The Watchmen" by Alan Moore and also perhaps some Phillip Dick. I like to travel as well and I put a lot of my travel experience in my writing. I am a part of the Jane Austen fan club as well and I am always willing to sit and discuss Jane. I do things other than read though, I argue and debate, sometimes I work and on ocassion I have been known to get crazy. I have always thought that the best way to get your point across is to show by example. Now I leave you with a great 18-19th century quote to ponder. "A woman, especially, if she have the misfortune of knowing anything, should conceal it as well as she can."-Jane Austen
Ryan Hanson
I am a first year Graduate student in the English program. I got my degree from SCSU in 2004 in Creative Writing and minored in Film Studies. Since then I have worked as a Sports Reporter in Albert Lea MN, and also in Electronic Sales (Big screen TVs). I am the Captain of a paintball team named Juggernaut, enjoy video games, discussing film and chatting about technology.
Hannah Palmquist
Hey everyone, I am a Junior here at SCSU looking forward to my first year at the Write Place! I'm double majoring in Rhetorical and Applied Writing and Communication Studies. I'm headed for law school in a few years, so I'm trying to get over my fear of public speaking, my excessive use of commas, and my deep hatred of computers. I love to write speeches and pick out nonparallel sentences and argument fallacies. Besides that, I'm not your typical English student (i.e. I do not find discussions on Shakespeare intellectually stimulating). Instead, I like old country music, m and m's, and funny movies. I can't wait to meet lots of interesting people so come on in, I'd love to talk with you (just not about Shakespeare).
Joel McDonough
Hey! My name is Joel McDonough and I am currently a Sophomore here at St. Cloud State University. I am majoring in Mathematics, specifically Mathematics Education. This is my first year working at the Write Place and I am really looking forward to it! I enjoy being active and especially like to play soccer and football. I basically listen to all kinds of music and love relaxing to a movie. The best times come when I am spending time with my friends and family. If you want to know anymore about me just hit me up!
Glen Eisenschenk
This will be my second year at SCSU, I plan to major in biochemistry or biomed. However, my ultimate goal after graduation is to attend medical school. I am a big fan of anime (Japanese Animation), and sometimes try my hand at creating artwork. In the realm of literature I'll dive into just about any book, some of my favorite genres are science fiction, horror, mythology, medical, and fantasy. I also love technology, everything from games to robotic surgical procedures. Helping people has been a great interest in my life and working at the Write Place is another way I can do just that.
Delissa Tabery
Hello, I'm Delissa--a senior at SCSU. As a twenty-four year old, I have already pursued many different goals in life. Right now I am an English student and part-time hairstylist. You don't meet many of those! As far as my future goals or what I hope to "be" in life when I graduate? Well, I have yet to figure that out. Maybe I'll be a teacher or maybe I'll be a full-time student for the rest of my life--who knows. However, I do know I have a passion for education and I am looking forward to tutoring in the writing center this year.
Heather Schreifels
Heather here, I'm going into my junior year at SCSU and absolutely thrilled to be apart of the Write Center staff! Majoring in Communication Arts & Literature I have always had my nose in a book and hope to teach along with receiving my certification in American Sign Language. I'm a native to St. Cloud and am currently living in a house with eight other girls, crazy I know. Traveling, theater, and clocks are all good things, especially if accompanied by a cup of coffee. Other than that you'll just have to come in and meet me!
Matt Amdahl
Matt is a non-creative creative writer. He is working on a piece of paper that will declare him a creative writer; this mysterious piece of paper is titled "English Major with a Creative Writing Emphasis." Additionally, Matt is learning how to write in forms other than the third person; he is progressing slowly. Matt is primarily a poet, but he also writes fiction, drama, and creative non-fiction. This is his first attempt as a biographer -- unfortunately, he has to keep it rated PG. Thus, Matt's biography must come to an end. The end.
