Meet the Writing Tutors

Students may wish to request a specific tutor when they make an appointment at the ARC, depending on their needs and the tutor's background and expertise. To help you make the most of your sessions, tutors have provided their bios here. When you are ready to make an appointment with a writing tutor, go to myLMU, "Academics," and "Writing & Course Tutoring," or contact the ARC receptionist at 310.338.2847 for assistance.  

Melanie profile pic for Meet the Writing Tutors
Melanie O.
Writing Center Coordinator

Melanie is a graduate student in the Writing and Producing for Television program. Originally from Maryland, she received her BA in English and Sociology from McDaniel College. This is Melanie's first year with the LMU Writing Center. Previously, she worked at her alma mater's Writing Center throughout undergrad and taught English as a recipient of a 2016 Fulbright ETA award. Melanie is excited about the collaborative aspect of sessions. While her favorite area is creative writing, she enjoys brainstorming and helping students develop their voice across subjects.
Ashelyn W.
Graduate Writing Tutor

Ashelyn is a graduate student in the English M.A. Literature program from Portland, Oregon. She is also an English Teaching Fellow with the opportunity to teach writing to students in LMU’s First Year Seminar. She earned her B.A. in English with a double minor in French and Professional Writing from UC Santa Barbara, where she also worked as a writing tutor, and she is excited to spend more time in Southern California! Ashelyn enjoys reading and writing about eco-literature, especially eco-poetry. Her approach to tutoring centers around creating a collaborative, supportive environment for clients, and she loves helping students work on their writing at any stage of the process while developing their scholarly voice and style.
photo of Ava smiling in front of blue background
Ava R.
Writing Tutor

Ava is an English major from Nashville, Tennessee. She enjoys writing research papers as well as brainstorming ideas for creative writing assignments. She loves helping students create outlines for their papers, as well as editing final drafts for clarity and grammar. She is a columnist for an online magazine and has tutored students in an array of academic subjects since high school.
A headshot of Bettina wearing a black shirt
Bettina E.
Writing Tutor

Bettina is a sophomore Film and Television Production major with minors in Art History and Screenwriting from Cincinnati, OH. She enjoys writing essays analyzing media such as film and fine art and their intersections with sociocultural movements. She also has experience with creative writing mediums such as screenplays and film treatments. Bettina enjoys helping clients create clear and cohesive messages through their writing across a variety of formats and disciplines.
photo of Bianca sitting on a bench outside in front of flowering bush
Bianca G.
Graduate Writing Tutor

Bianca is a graduate student in the English M.A. program with an emphasis in Literature. She is a recipient of the English Teaching Fellowship, allowing her to teach writing in First Year Seminar classes. She is originally from southern New Jersey, where she graduated from Rowan University with her Bachelor's in English and concentration in both Creative Writing and Shakespearean Studies. She worked as a writing tutor throughout her undergraduate study and is excited to continue tutoring with LMU's Writing Center.
Catalina B.
Graduate Writing Tutor

Catalina is a second-year graduate student in the English M.A. program with an emphasis in Rhetoric and Composition from San Jose, California. She’s a recipient of the English Teaching Fellowship, which provides her the opportunity to teach writing and speaking in LMU’s First Year Seminar and Rhetorical Arts. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies with a minor in English from Gonzaga University, and she enjoys writing and reading essays on rhetoric, pop culture (especially Star Wars), and Disability Studies. Her approach to tutoring and teaching combines play, critical thinking, and personalized instruction, and she’s enthusiastic to assist students with invention/brainstorming, organization, and refining arguments.
Clinton C.
Faculty Writing Tutor

Clinton Carl has been an instructor in the Core and Philosophy at LMU for eight years, teaching Rhetorical Arts, First Year Seminar, and Philosophical Inquiry. He received his MA in philosophy at LMU and specializes in German Idealism and Chinese Buddhist thought, with an emphasis on theories of knowledge. He has presented his work at numerous academic conferences around the world and has won awards for his research and teaching. He volunteers regularly at the LA LGBT center, tutoring underserved queer students from diverse backgrounds. His tutoring approach focuses on critical thinking and creativity as the cornerstone of effective writing and speaking.
Photo of Grace smiling in front of dark background
Grace K.
Writing Tutor

Grace, from Boston, MA, is a junior Philosophy major with minors in Bioethics, Theology, and English. She especially loves reading and writing essays within philosophy, bioethics, and theology, but also enjoys any type of argumentative and research papers. She has experience editing for professors and has written many papers using MLA and Chicago-style formatting, including footnotes. She enjoys working with students at any stage in their writing process, whether it be getting started with their essay, sorting through and incorporating outside sources, and helping them edit and revise their work before turning it in.
Jo M.
Writing Tutor

Jo comes to the Writing Center with a lot of tutoring experience, from AP US History to art! As a writing tutor, she is experienced in helping students navigate not just writing, but the unique requirements of writing in an academic setting. In a tutoring session, she can work with students on anything from essays to research, to database usage, or even citations. As a journalism student, she has a lot of practical experience writing for the classroom and for publications. She's also a quick reader and a quick thinker, both things that are key to sharpening an essay or covering a writing skill in one tutoring session.
A photo of Juliet wearing headphones
Juliet W.
Writing Tutor

Juliet (she/they) is a junior Film and Television Production major. As a multidisciplinary artist, she dedicates herself to filmmaking, microtonal music, photography, and writing poetry and prose. To her, writing is creating connection through shared experiences. When a writer can express something—an experience that someone else has also had but has never been able to put into words and never knew anyone else experienced: when that collision occurs, it is a formed spiritual connection between audience and writer, and in that moment, we no longer feel alone. Juliet enjoys helping writers clarify and strengthen their message while crafting each sentence to be effective and efficient. She also has experience in dealing with perfectionism and anxiety around writing.
Kimberly M.
Faculty Writing Tutor

Kimberly is a Senior Lecturer in Communication Studies and teaches Rhetorical Arts courses focused on environmental rhetoric, ethics, and justice. She has a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from UC Irvine. She previously taught writing at Stanford University and worked as a consultant in the Hume Center for Writing and Speaking. She loves empowering students at any stage of the writing process and excels at assignment interpretation, brainstorming, and coherence issues. She’s also great at “word-smithing” essays with strict word counts. She has published in peer-reviewed journals, and her research interests include the critical role of rhetoric in environmental controversies and the ecology of writing.
Mary O.
Writing Tutor

Mary is a junior History major with a concentration in Public and Applied History and minors in Classics and Archaeology and Asian and Pacific studies from Sacramento, CA. In addition to being a writing tutor, Mary is a research assistant in the history department. Mary especially loves to assist with research papers, helping students brainstorm sophisticated research questions, aid them through the research process, and guide the development of their discoveries into well-thought-out papers. In addition to research papers, Mary enjoys assisting students with other assignments that analyze historical sources, understanding that every source tells a story, but that it can often be difficult to find the words to discuss them. Mary specializes in Chicago style.
selfie of writing tutor Molly from spring 2023
Molly T.
Writing Tutor

Molly is a sophomore Philosophy major and Dance and English double-minor from Gunnison, Colorado. She has experience writing research papers, analytical essays, and argumentative essays, as well as assisting students with understanding arguments and brainstorming ideas from her time as a TA. She enjoys helping students develop ideas, organize papers, and refine arguments. She loves exploring conceptual subjects, especially in philosophy, as well as analyzing art forms including literature, poetry, and dance.