Minor in Writing and PWC Graduates

Michaela Minnis, PWCP

I spent two years as a Peer Writing Consultant (PWC) at Sweetland, and it was one of the best experiences in my undergraduate career! I enjoyed working with student-peers in their writing processes and journeys, and learning tutoring strategies from other consultants.

As a PWC, I learned how to collaborate with other students in an online environment and use creative ways to make students feel comfortable and excited about the writing process. Now, I work as a Youth Engagement and Program Associate at Georgetown Law’s Initiative on Gender Justice and Opportunity, and the interpersonal, listening, and advocacy skills I learned as a consultant have been integral to my engagement with the young people we work with, who work alongside us in the fight for gender justice!

Elizabeth Knight, MiW

Applying for the Sweetland Minor in Writing was one of the best decisions I made at the University of Michigan. As a musician, I’ve always thought of writing as a second passion, completely separate from my primary goals. I joined the MiW because I wanted to continue to do something that I loved, despite the fact that I had chosen to study something else, but it turned out to be a catalyst for me. The Sweetland faculty pushed and supported me in ways that I didn’t expect. I became a better artist, and in turn I am now a better musician. Since graduating, I no longer view music and writing as separate, but instead as a unified endeavor where one aspect drives the other. I couldn’t be more thankful for the MiW community!

Kelly Souza, PWCP

Working at the Sweetland Peer Writing Center was a major highlight of my undergraduate experience! As someone who fell in love with Ann Arbor the first day stepping foot on campus, it broke my heart to take classes remotely during the height of the pandemic. That’s why, when I was hired as a peer writing consultant, I felt closer than ever to the university community by joining a group of brilliant undergraduates who share the same passion for writing that I do! Upon returning back to campus the following year, I developed and refined my practice in making consultations with writers a space for conversation, reflection, compassion, and joy. My overall growth during that time as a consultant, writer, learner, and person is what enabled me to currently pursue a degree at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, with a focus in ELA secondary education. I am delighted to enter a profession that will allow me to pass on the same skills, knowledge, and enthusiasm about writing to high school students that was once instilled in me during my time at the University of Michigan!