Tutor of the Week: Sam Geffert

Our next Tutor of the Week is Sam Geffert, an fourth-year Secondary Education student with a concentration in English and a minor in Japanese and English as a Second Language. 

Sam holding baby chicks in Kyoto, Japan.

Sam has been a tutor at the Writing Center for four semesters, and has plans to remain a tutor until her anticipated graduation in May of 2019. Sam is currently involved in several aspects of Writing Center work in addition to everyday tutoring: "Currently I’m tutoring on campus and at the Saginaw and Bay Community Writing Centers. I also co-lead creative writing workshops at the Saginaw Correctional Facility." This semester, Sam also plans on presenting in the upcoming ECWCA conference this March.

Last semester, Sam attended the MiWCA and IWCA conferences where she presented independently regarding her experience tutoring abroad at the Writing Center's sister university in Japan, Shikoku University. While, there Sam worked alongside another writing center tutor to prepare native Japanese-speaking students to use English orally, through conversation hours and one-on-one conversation practice. She also assisted in English-speaking camps put on by the professors at Shikoku University, and middle and high school English-speaking workshops alongside assistant language teachers through the Japan Exchange and Teaching program. Of her time in Japan, Sam writes: "One of my best experiences working in the Writing Center was being able to tutor at Shikoku University in Tokushima, Japan. This opportunity to travel has shaped my goals for the future. I would love to teach English abroad after I graduate."Additionally, Sam has also worked as a social media coordinator, led Friday workshops, and judged several creative writing contests through the Writing Center.

Sam believes that writing is a skill that takes practice and dedication. She writes: "I believe that writing and tutoring is like anything else—skill comes over time through practice and dedication. One of my favorite parts of working at the writing center is being an active part in that process for others." When Sam isn't in the Writing Center, you can usually find her studying or working on homework on-campus. Sam loves rollerblading with her dog Coco and reading horoscopes in her free time, and looks forward to getting outside and gardening this spring.  Sam doesn't know what she plans to do after graduation just yet, but she is considering teaching abroad or travelling for awhile before settling on one dream. Whatever she ends up doing, she hopes to someday settle down in Massachusetts: "I love tours and museums, and there are so many to explore in there - I'd like to travel, but I want to end up in Massachusetts someday."