Caroline Reed

I have luckily had the chance to dabble in creative writing, education and psychology while attaining my B.A. in English at St. John's University - all of which have helped to shape my thinking. I am currently in graduate school working towards a degree in School Counseling.

I've always been quick to learn, but my favorite part of working anywhere has always been the people I get the chance to meet and know. The Institute for Writing Studies at St. John's University has provided me with a  home of sorts here on campus  that I will always be grateful for. Not only is it an amazing confluence of great minds and friendly people, but it has been a  place  where I can feel some immediacy in my goals to help others. We are not "experts" here who are going to mark up your paper and tell you what to do differently; we are peers, here to work on mutual goals.  

Over the course of my studies in the counseling field, I have seen so many parallels between what counselors do and what writing consultants do - even in the manner that different consultants have different styles of running their sessions. People new to the writing center are often surprised by how helpful it is just to talk about their writing. I believe that the act of talking about your ideas and writing is a good means of building and solidifying a clear articulation of them. In this manner, consultants can work with anyone on any level of writing; the writings and ideas are always your own.