Director Dr. Deidre Garriott, Instructor

Assistant Director Brittany (she/her)

Brittany is First-Year English instructor and is trained to teach Business Writing as well as Technical and Professional Communication. She has tutored in several Writing Centers and has specific experience working with ESL students. Her MFA background makes her partial to creative writing, but she also enjoys helping students craft strong personal statements for job and/or graduate school applications.

Assistant Director Claire (she/her)

Claire is a Composition & Rhetoric Doctoral Student and a writing instructor. She researches writing pedagogy and the history of writing instruction in the university. Claire enjoys working with students from all disciplines to achieve their composing goals, and she especially enjoys discussing argumentation and organization.

Tutor Mandy (she/her)

Mandy is a first-year Poetry MFA student who graduated with her BA in English with a concentration in Creative Writing and a minor in Cultural Anthropology from Arcadia University in 2022. While her main passion is stories, her anthropology background and affinity for travel has led her to seek that passion across disciplines. It also means she's written and edited a lot of essays.

Tutor Josie (she/her)

Josie is a first year, MFA Creative Writing student. During her undergraduate study, Josie worked as a writing tutor for EFL (English as a Foreign Language) students and has since taught writing and literature at an English immersion school in Seoul, South Korea. Josie is inspired by the nuance that personal writing brings to cultural connection and is beyond excited to be working and studying at the University of South Carolina. Whenever she has the time, Josie enjoys camping, hiking, baking, traveling, and reading.

Tutor Michelle (she/her)

Michelle is a first-year Fiction MFA student. She loves stories, wordplay, and a good laugh. When she isn't working on her latest project, she enjoys helping other students hone their thoughts and voices because there's nothing like a piece of writing that just comes together. She also holds a BA in French and English/Creative Writing from Wellesley College and loves to pick up new languages on Duolingo.

Tutor Maddie (she/her)

Maddie is a first year MFA student specializing in poetry. She enjoys helping students in all stages of the writing process, from the planning stage to perfecting the final draft.

Tutor Kayla (she/her)

Kayla is an English and Library Science Masters Student. She received her B.A. from University of South Carolina in Theatre and English, and specializes in literary analysis, research and persuasive writing. With a passion for composition and literary theory, including character motivation and narrative construction, she is eager to connect with others to discuss narrative techniques and their application in analyzing topics in both academia and popular culture. By earning a M.A. in English and Library Science, she hopes to work in academia as archivist and continue to learning everywhere she can.

Tutor Ky (she/they)

Ky is a second-year MFA student currently enrolled in the Poetry program, and received her undergraduate degree in English Literature from Clemson University in 2020. She enjoys discussing music, artwork, and writing within abstract and horror genres. Ky is also a bartender/mixologist and enjoys playing roller derby in her free time.

Tutor Vonkeisha (she/her)

Vonkeisha is from Duval County and is pursuing an MFA in poetry. She has a Bachelors in Public Relations from Florida A&M University. Vonkeisha has a background in anti-violence advocacy, ESL teaching, mentoring, and community organizing. She is looking forward to working in the writing center as a tutor.

Tutor Katie (she/her)

Katie is a first year MA student specializing in American Literature. Katie graduated from Baylor University with a B.B.A. in Business Fellows, Marketing, and English Literature and a minor in Journalism. In her free time, Katie likes to try new recipes on her friends, practice her bassoon, and roller skate around town. While Katie enjoys helping students from every college become more comfortable writing, she especially enjoys helping students craft arguments for literature class or whip out news stories worthy of the front page.

Tutor Lily (she/her)

Lily is a first-year English graduate student. In her free time she enjoys reading, watching movies, meeting up with friends, and hanging out with her dog. Her research interests include women writers, gender studies, British romanticism, and the renaissance period. She has experience as both a TA and a behavioral therapist specialized in ABA to working and accommodating individuals with ASD.

Tutor Cole (he/him)

Cole is a first year MFA Poetry student in the English Department. His research interests include Poetry, 20th C. American Literature, and Canadian Literature. Cole graduated from Toronto Metropolitan University with a B.A. in English. He enjoys reading, film photography, and listening to music. Cole appreciates working with students from all disciplines but is partial to creative writing.

Tutor Cat (she/her)

Cat is an English MA student specializing in Gender and Sexuality Studies. Her research focuses on queer theory, feminism, and gender roles. Cat has a B.A. in English Literature and a minor in Psychology. Her psychology minor inspires her to pursue further research with gender roles. Cat has experience working with editing and revising, as well as fixing grammatical errors. She enjoys helping students to achieve their writing goals. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, reading, and playing Nintendo games.

Tutor Kamran (he/him)

Kamran is a first-year MA student in English rhetoric and composition. He graduated from Bloomsburg University of PA in 2022 with a B.A. in philosophy and sociology and minors in psychology and gender studies. There, he worked in the writing center for 3 semesters. His intellectual interests can broadly be summed as exploring the relationships between individuals, culture, and society.