VWC Peer Consultants
Hi, my name is Alan Butler. I’m a Psy.D. student at the Antioch Seattle campus currently working at the Academic Support Lab and Virtual Writing Center. I mainly spend my time gaming, learning, and reading about psychology for class, then reading fiction to clear my head of all the heavy topics I’m spending so much time on. As a writer, I tend to focus on “higher-order concerns” that can include the structure of the paper, organization of information, tone, and purpose. However, working at the VWC has piqued my interest in the rules of grammar and the ways that they vary from language to language. I am very glad to be a part of the VWC, both as a peer consultant and as a student using all of the services offered to us here.
Hi, my name is Chanel Brown, and I’m a student in the Couple and Family Therapy MA program at Antioch University, Seattle. I’m a former college English instructor, and enjoy reading and writing short fiction, memoir and poetry. I love living in the Pacific Northwest and being able to see the ocean, mountains, rivers, and beautiful old evergreens in my daily life. I enjoy running, cooking with my husband, and working in our yard.
Hello! My name is Tammy Cloutier, and I am a doctoral student in the Environmental Studies program at Antioch University New England. I love to write and enjoy the editing process as well. It may sound odd, but correcting student papers as an adjunct instructor was kind of fun for me! When I’m not working on school assignments, I love to spend time with my family (which includes my dog of course!), read, and get outdoors. I look forward to working with you at the VWC!
Shaneka Jones Cook is a former elementary school teacher who writes fiction, poetry, short stories, and creative nonfiction, in addition to being a freelance writer. She is currently working on her MFA in creative writing at Antioch University Los Angeles. She’s been published in The Record (Trinity Washington University). She is currently working on a children’s book based on her two younger sons, and a collection of essays about mother/son relationships. She is the founder of the book and poetry club “Chapter Chicks.” She is an assistant editor for Fiction, and also works on the outreach and interview teams for Lunch Ticket. She resides in Washington, D.C. with her daughter and three sons. When Shaneka’s not writing, she’s either watching the Syfy channel or binge-watching Hulu and Netflix.
Hello, I’m Julie Fortney. I am in the graduate program at Antioch University in Seattle for Clinical Mental Health Counseling with Art Therapy. I moved to Seattle from Virginia where I had lived nearly all of my life. I love to travel; so far I’ve made it to Europe twice and hope to visit Peru or Singapore soon. I like caving. You haven’t done it right if you didn’t get any bruises. I also like tattoos. I currently have 7 and am hoping to get many more. I’m looking forward to advancing my education and having new experiences at Antioch.
My name is Alena Rogers, and I am in the graduate Couple and Family Therapy program at Antioch Seattle. I enjoy reading, music, road trips, getting outside, and having adventures with my sons and our dog. During my undergrad at Evergreen State College Tacoma, I explored grassroots journalism and creative writing, while also learning about academic writing styles. I appreciate the opportunity to be a part of the VWC, to get the chance to read what my peers are writing in their programs, and to be able to learn from this experience. I hope that my feedback is helpful along the way!
Andrew Rogers likes to write. No, seriously. He is one of those people. He loves the art of words on the page. Trained as a narrative non-fiction journalist, Andrew specializes in finding the beating heart of a story. He takes that approach when reading other people’s papers or supporting them to discover and make meaning. For the last six years, he has taught personal and professional development skills to college students at universities in the region. He also likes mental health counseling, which is a good thing, since he is currently pursuing his Master’s degree through Antioch Seattle.
Hello! My name is Sarah Smith, and I’m in the Couple and Family Therapy program at Antioch in Seattle. I spent several years working in orphanages in developing countries before moving to the west coast. Living in other cultures opened my eyes to the vast array of creative and beautiful ways there are to look at world and to articulate the human experience. I’ve always loved writing- as well as listening to (or reading) other people’s stories. Working at the VWC is an awesome opportunity to use my passions to help those in my academic community. I know that I personally benefit from the input of others after working on a piece of writing for hours. It helps me step outside my own head and get more perspective on how my writing is perceived by the reader. When I’m not reading psychology books or writing research papers, I explore the outdoors as much as possible!
Kylie Steele is in the Urban Environmental Education MAED program at Antioch University Seattle. She started her first major literary piece in 4th grade, a murder mystery, and has been in love with the writing process ever since. She is a true lover of learning and is excited to partner with students to strengthen their writing (and her own in the process!). She received her BA in Communications from Whitworth University in Spokane, WA, where she trained in journalistic style writing and learned the art of grammar by studying French. She believes stories and voice are the most powerful weapons in sharing one’s experience and healing the world. When she’s not studying, reading, writing or working on your paper, you can usually find Kylie playing outside, exploring, or picking up a new hobby, Lindy Hop anyone?
Anna Tibstra is a graduate student in the Couple & Family Therapy MA program in Seattle, where she has lived and worked in human service nonprofits since 2009. In addition to the VWC, she also works in Antioch Seattle’s Academic Support Lab. She sharpened her composition skills in undergraduate work in English and philosophy, and has found her writer’s voice in psychology through her program at Antioch. She lives in Seattle with her cat, Rhubarb, and likes hiking, jigsaw puzzles, history, and snakes.
VWC Staff
Hello and welcome to the Virtual Writing Center! I’m Anne Maxham, and my official title is Director of Writing Support for Antioch University. I came to Antioch University Seattle in 2000 as a faculty member in the School of Education in a program that genuinely reflected AU’s commitment to social justice through offering a rigorous BA + Teacher Preparation program for Seattle area para-educators. Through the past few years, I’ve moved into more administrative work in developing writing support and programs at AUS with the past four years focused on developing virtual writing support across the five campuses. I am proud to be a part of a team deeply committed to support Antioch University writers wherever they are.
Hi, I’m John Dunham, the Coordinator for the VWC. In addition to working in the VWC, I direct the campus Writing Center at Antioch New England. I started writing as the son of an editor, attended Marlboro College and enjoyed the school’s rigorous writing standards, and worked in the AUNE Writing Center during my graduate work. I have studied History, Writing, Linguistics, Asian Studies, Environmental Studies, and Social Justice Advocacy, which gives me a broad knowledge base and appreciation for multiple kinds of writing. I also worked for five years in Wilderness Therapy with at-risk youth in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, where I learned many of my tutoring and coaching skills. I’m delighted to continue helping Antioch students develop their writing, thinking, and learning skills.
In addition to teaching a variety of writing courses at all grade levels, Steve Brown founded and led The Bishop’s School’s Writing Center and Student Writing Assistance Team. Steve has studied at Bard College’s Institute for Writing and Thinking and was a fellow of the San Diego Area Writing Project. In 2006, he completed a graduate program in documentary writing at the Salt Institute in Portland, Maine. In 2010, Steve enrolled in the Center for Creative Change at Antioch University, Seattle, graduating in 2011 with a MA in Whole Systems Design. He has worked with the Virtual Writing Center since 2010.