Tutor of the Week: Madison Martin

Our next Tutor of the Week is Madison Martin, an English literature and creative writing major with a theatre minor.

Madison Martin

"When I first heard that there was a Writing Center on campus way back in my freshman year, I knew I wanted to work there. It has been one of the most rewarding decisions I have ever made. The work we do at the Writing Center not only allows us to collaborate with students that we wouldn’t otherwise be able to interact with, but it improves our own writing because we get to experience so many different types and styles, and that’s my favorite thing about being a tutor. Whenever I get to read someone else’s stories and hear their voice coming through in their writing, it reminds me all over again why I applied to work here. In addition to giving me the chance to work with students will diverse backgrounds in many fields, the Writing Center has given me so many more opportunities, whether it’s teaching creative writing to high schoolers, or researching data on our writing center – there are always ways go get involved, which makes it so much more than a job.

"During my time not spent at the Writing Center, I am in English classes (so many English classes) as a literature and creative writing major with a theatre minor. I’m not entirely sure what my future holds for me, but it’ll probably be something involving English and a lot of Netflix. In my free time, I try to force creative ideas out of my head and put them on paper, as well as watch lots of television. Right now I am binge-watching Hell’s Kitchen because Gordon Ramsey yelling is kind of hilarious. For a little more culture in my life, I love musicals. Like… love them. I have been able to see Wicked live twice, as well as The Book of Mormon, Catch Me if You Can, Newsies, and Legally Blonde, and all of them were amazing. I can also be found obsessing over Kate McKinnon because, come on, she’s amazing."

Tutor of the Week: Bria Rivet

Our next Tutor of the Week is Bria Rivet, an English literature and creative writing major.

Bria Rivet

"Being a Writing Center tutor has taught me so much more than I ever could have hoped and has been such a fulfilling experience for me. I would say that the primary goal of my Writing Center sessions is to make writers feel competent with their own voice. I believe that often, the objective expectations for academic writing can be so exclusive to different voices. I want everyone who writes to know that the way that they communicate with the world is never incorrect. Instead, at the Writing Center, we try to encourage the practice of code-switching – working outside your usual language style to fit a style needed for a certain purpose. This doesn’t shut down different voices, but instead can incorporate a wider range and encourage diversity of thought.

"As a student, I am a literature and creative writing senior with a psychology minor. I’m trying to diversify my writing palate as I challenge myself with more complex literature analyses and work on different genres of creative pieces. The Writing Center helps me continually challenge my own process as I see writers come in with such a wide range of voices and experiences. It’s a job that gives back, and I am very honored to have met all of the people I’ve worked with."

Tutor of the Week: Josh Atkins

Our next Tutor of the Week is Josh Atkins, an English literature and creative writing major.

Josh Atkins

"Ever since I was a little kid, writing and reading have been my two primary passions – having the opportunity to make a career out of what I love to do is great! When I discovered that the Writing Center would help me apply what I love to do in real-time, I had to take advantage of the opportunity. There’s nothing more engaging about my days on campus than being able to have meaningful conversations about people’s ideas and figuring out ways to transfer those ideas onto paper. Working at the Writing Center has also allowed me to take advantage of so many great opportunities – traveling the country, teaching creative writing workshops, and making connections with our off-campus community.

"In my free time, which seems to be limited lately, I really enjoy listening to new music – lately, I’ve had the Menzingers’s and Run the Jewels’s new albums on solid rotation. My favorite bands include Blink-182 (who I’ve seen twice, with Tom), The Wonder Years (who I’ve seen once), and Metallica (who I have yet to see; at the rate they’re going, however, they’ll be around another 50 years. Aside from that, I really enjoy going out with friends on the weekends when I can – you may find me on Hamilton street I you’re lucky. "

Tutor of the Week: Zach Vega

Our next Tutor of the Week is Zach Vega, a political science major with a minor in Spanish.

Zach Vega (far right)

"I love tutoring at the Writing Center because it gives me the chance to learn from people in other majors and from other countries. I'm amazed with the work that my peers in other disciplines are working on and I'm glad that I have the chance to help them make that work even better. I'm in my last semester at SVSU and I'm definitely going to miss this part of my experience here. In my spare time, I enjoy everything that takes me out of my house, including camping, hiking, and going to concerts."