Meet Our Writing Assistants
Work One-on-One with a Writing Assistant
Schedule your appointment in Navigate today!
Michelle Abbott
Writing Center Instructor
Michelle has a Diploma of Nursing and a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre. She also has a Master of Professional Writing from KSU with concentrations in Creative Writing and Corporate Communications. She has worked as a registered nurse, freelance copywriter, and is currently a Professor of English for GHC. Her hobbies include homeschooling three busy boys, training her dogs, riding her dirt bike, and quilting.
Contact:
Danny Bellinger
Writing Center Instructor
Danny, an accomplished creative writer, brings a unique set of experiences to every writing center session. His years of work in corporate America and his education in creative writing allow him to connect students to their tasks in ways that extend far beyond the individual writing session. Students appreciate his generous and thoughtful feedback and his attention to the details in writing.
Contact:
Rick Bombard
Writing Center Instructor
Rick Bombard is a Professor of English for the School of Humanities at GHC. He teaches English Composition, World Literature, and American Literature courses. His background in various fields in addition to teaching English provide multiple perspectives in helping students through the writing process. Known for his humor and thoughtfulness, students leave his sessions more confident in their writing abilities.
Contact
rbombard@highlands.edu
Ashley Campbell
Writing Center Instructor
Ashley Campbell earned a B.A. from Judson College, an M.A. from Auburn University, and a PhD in English Literature from the University of Minnesota. She has taught English Composition at Auburn University, the University of Minnesota, West Virginia University, and Georgia Highlands College. She has also taught a variety of literature courses from Shakespeare to Science Fiction and Fantasy at the University of Minnesota. She worked as a writing tutor at Auburn University and at Calhoun Community College. She enjoys baking, knitting, and spending time with her dog Loki.
Contact:
Peter DiFazio
Writing Center Instructor
I have over twenty years of experience as an English teacher and tutor, including a decade teaching college test prep (verbal) for students at elite Los Angeles schools. I have a BA in English, a BS in secondary English education, a master’s in professional writing, and a second master’s in screenwriting. I taught high school English for nine years in Cobb County before teaching English at Kennesaw State. Later, I moved to Los Angeles for film school at USC. After a decade writing and editing in LA, I moved back to Atlanta with my family in 2019. In addition to teaching English at GHC, I continue to work as a writer and editor.
Contact:
Amy Gandolfi
Writing Center Instructor
Amy received her B.S. in Communication from Kennesaw State University and her M.A. in Communication from GA State University. She then went on to work on her M.A. in Professional Writing at Kennesaw State University. She currently teaches courses in Communication, Film Studies, and English. She is married with two grown children. When not at work, Amy spends an inordinate amount of time fussing over her seven cats.
Contact:
Alyssa Gilmore
Writing Center Coordinator
Aly graduated from Kennesaw State University with a B.A. in English and an M.A. in Professional Writing. Aly has worked as both a composition instructor and a writing tutor while at KSU and is excited to bring those experiences with her to Georgia Highlands College. Formerly, Aly worked as the Program Coordinator with the Georgia Writers Association, a nonprofit dedicated to uplifting underserved writers in Georgia. When not at work, Aly likes to write, read, play tabletop RPGs, and take long walks with her dog.
Contact:
Charles Grimm
Writing Center Instructor
Charles Grimm is an Assistant Professor of English for the School of Humanities at GHC. He received his BA in English from Faulkner University, his MA in English from the University of Alabama Huntsville, and his PhD in English Rhetoric and Composition from Georgia State University. He has taught internationally and tutored both privately and in multiple writing centers. His Writing Center interests have been presented at several Writing Center conferences and one collaborative article has been published in the open-access IWCA Peer Review journal.
Currently, he is piloting teaching 0999 Support for English 1101 in the Cartersville Writing Center to help students feel more comfortable using this space and enhance visibility of the Writing Center's services.
Contact:
Paula Guy
Writing Center Instructor
Paula Guy has been teaching for 26 years. She received her bachelor's degree from Western Michigan University in Elementary Education and her master's degree in Reading from Walden University. She also has a specialist degree in Teaching Speakers of Other Languages. She is the mother of two sons who are in tenth and eleventh grade. When she is not working, she and her family like to travel. They like to camp, cruise, and see historical sites. They have only 7 states left to see.
Contact:
Charles Jones
Writing Center Instructor
Charles Jones teaches writing, rhetoric, and literature. He enjoys sharing the writing process with students, from brainstorming and prewriting to drafting and revising.
Contact:
Julie Kozee
Writing Center Instructor
Julie Kozee has been teaching English and composition at Georgia Highlands College since 2015. Before joining GHC, she was a part-time instructor at Chattahoochee Tech, worked at an online writing center, and was even a Children's Library Assistant at the public library for a while. She lives in Cartersville with her husband, Jeff, their two daughters, Grace and Lily, and enjoys spending her summers at the beach, thanks to a family member who lends them a beach house. Julie hopes to retire on a farm in upstate New York and loves spending time with their rescue dog, Buddy.
Contact:
Samantha Lewis
Writing Center Volunteer
My name is Samantha. I am a graduate of GHC with a Bachelor’s of Health Science, an Associates in Psychology, and an Associates in Science (General Studies). I love to help students utilize their resources and encourage growth through the GHC Writing Center. I have a son, and I pack parachutes when I’m not tutoring. I look forward to working with you!
Contact:
Heather Miller
Writing Center Instructor
Greetings everyone! I am thrilled to introduce myself and share my commitment to helping you thrive in Eng1101 this semester. With 26 years of experience as an English Educator, as well as being a theatre director and novelist, I am equipped with strategies to share. Last year, I completed my Master's degree in Fine Arts/Creative Writing and completed final revisions on my second novel, available February 2024.
Think of me as your coach, your "turbulent advocate." I am committed to providing prompt and constructive feedback, asking thought-provoking questions, encouraging targeted research, and deepening my students' thinking. Additionally, I cannot encourage each of you enough to defend an opinion before drafting. And know, revision is not editing. I'll model the differences for you.
Learning is emotional. When we face frustrations and overcome obstacles through strategy and collaboration, we become more attuned thinkers and clear, empathetic writers.
Contact:
Julia Reidy
Writing Center Instructor
Julia graduated from UGA with her B.A. in Magazine Journalism and KSU with an M.A. in Professional Writing. She taught at KSU for four years before joining Georgia Highlands College as an Instructor of English and now Assistant Professor of English. Outside of teaching, Julia spent several years working as a music critic, A&E reporter, editor, and graphic designer, and she enjoys hiking, cooking, and hanging out with her husband Taylor and cat Rita.
Contact:
Christina Simons
Writing Center Instructor
Christina Simons got her B.S. in Education and M.A. in English from Southern Illinois University. She has taught English and LIterature and Writing at both high school and college levels in Illinois, Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida.
After trying to retire for the fourth time, she's again headed into the classroom and the writing center to do what she loves best: teaching students to write efficiently and well, building their self-esteem, and having a good time doing it.
When not at work, she's at home with her husband and Edgar, the most ADHD rescue dog who has ever existed.a.
Contact:
Connie Watjen
Writing Center Instructor
Connie graduated from GSU with a B.B.A. in Marketing and from KSU with an M.A. in Professional Writing. Before retiring, she worked at GHC as a fulltime English professor for 11 years, specializing in learning support English. Her experience has taught her that all students can become confident writers, and she looks forward to working with students as a part-time tutor. Besides teaching, other favorite activities include camping, mountain bike riding, hiking, kayaking, or just lying in a hammock reading.
Contact:
Cindy Wheeler
Writing Center Instructor
Cindy Wheeler earned a B.A. and M.A in English from Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, AL. She is also a proud alumna of GHC. She completed a graduate certificate program in academic advising from Kansas State University in 2022. She has been teaching composition and literature at GHC since 2001. In her spare time, she likes to travel, attend sporting events and concerts, listen to true crime podcasts and read. She loves working one-on-one with students and is happy to have the opportunity to do so in the Writing Center!
Contact:
