Teaching

About

I believe in meeting students where they are and seeing how far they can go.

Experience

Faculty/Mentor, Augsburg University - Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

Mentor, AWP Writer to Writer Mentorship

Mentor, Loft Literary Center’s Mentor Series

Librarian & adjunct faculty (graduate and undergraduate), St. Catherine University

Teacher (3rd, 5th, 7th), Various K-12 schools (CA, WI)

Teaching Artist/Writing teacher, Loft Literary Center, ModernWell, Springboard for the Arts, and Minneapolis Community Education

School visits at various K-12 schools and higher education

Education

BS Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison

MLIS, San Jose State University

Certificate in Copyediting, San Diego State University Extension

Sample Lectures & Classes

I have experience teaching all ages in a variety of settings. See below for sample classes for both adults and children. Contact me for more information on bringing me (virtually or in person) to your organization.

For adults

Identify Yourself
Talk about my hispanic/latina identity and how representation in children’s literature matters.

Presented at:

• Minnesota Department of Education, Lunch & Learn

Where do I come from (and does it matter)?
Talk about identity and belonging and how our stories fit into the broader landscape of the US.

Presented at:

• UW-La Crosse, Hispanic Heritage Month

• Carleton College Convocation

• St. Catherine University Women’s Center

• U of MN-Duluth

Making the Unbelievable Believable: Magical Realism in Creative Nonfiction
How can nonfiction writers harness the power of the fiction tool of magical realism? Examples of using elements of magical realism in nonfiction

Presented at:

• HippoCamp Nonfiction Conference

• Augsburg University

Memory and Writing

An overview of how memory works and how memory informs all kinds of writing, not just memoir. Examples using text from Magical Realism for Non-Believers.

Presented at:

• Keynote at Creative Writing Festival, Normandale Community College

Submitting to Literary Journals
Scan of literary journals and other places for publishing writing, and discussion of how to submit to publish your work

Taught at:

• St. Cloud State University

• Loft Literary Center

Creative Nonfiction
Classes include readings, writing prompts and exercises, workshopping, and sharing

Taught at:

• Loft Literary Center

• Augsburg University

• More Than a Single Story

• Write On Door County

• ModernWell

For children and teens

Get a Job (high school)

Story of my journey as an artist and how aspiring artists make choices to lead to art as vocation.

Presented at:

• Perpich Center for the Arts High School

Memory and Writing (grades 4-8)

An overview of how memory works and how memory informs all kinds of writing.

Presented at:

• Keynote at Young Author’s Conference

Sticking with it: From Fishing to Journals (grades 3-5)
Talk for kids about What If a Fish and the writing process

Presented at:

• Reading Rock Stars, Texas Book Festival

• Center for Fiction, New York City

Keeping it real: Writing from real life (grades 4-8)
Class for kids about getting inspiration from experience

Presented at:

• Young Authors Conference, Success Beyond the Classroom

• Public school visits