My Story
I assume there was a ‘prehistory’ of a time before I was able to write, but I do not remember it; thus, being a writer has always been foremost in my identity. I still have the hand-written journals I started at age eight, filled with misspellings, doodles, triviality and complaints (usually about siblings) that soon evolved to poetry, fiction, and memoir (and better doodles). Early on I learned I had a knack for creating stories, whether from real-life situations or gathered material or my own imagination. Stories that could persuade and entertain, uncover truth or reveal fictions, for private consumption or shared in publications or on the stage. Looking back, I realize these stories have helped me excel in school, do well in a variety of jobs, get published, and communicate clearly with others throughout my life.
It would perhaps not seem that writing stories was central to the B.A. and M.A. in Anthropology I received from Stanford University or the Ph,D. in Archaeology from Boston University. Yet what are social science papers but stories created around data? My 300+ page doctoral thesis is a story created around hundreds of prehistoric Greek beads and other ornaments; speculation convincingly supported by evidence.
When I decided to leave Academia, it was this type of persuasive writing that helped me find my next career. I had always been good at writing to people and organizations and swaying them to fund my academic endeavors, whether my doctoral research or large excavations, but I had no idea that ‘grant-writing’ was something I could do for a living until I saw a posting for just such a position and got that first job. Since then, over the last two decades, I’ve written grants that have successfully raised many millions of dollars for non-profit organizations in conservation, education, the arts, health care, animal welfare, social justice and many other areas. I have diversified from grants-writing to many other aspects of fundraising, working within organizations as the Director of Development or Executive Director and as a consultant on campaigns, events, marketing, as well as grants. I have even worked as Grants Manager overseeing the grant-making and administration of a private foundation—a position that enabled me to evaluate the ‘stories’ of potential grantees and make recommendations for funding.
Concurrent with these positions, I continued writing in journals, as well as fiction and plays. These two writing worlds merged when the Artistic Director of prominent non-profit, Off-Broadway theatre company I was working with invited me to join their playwriting group. From then on, I was hooked on writing for the stage and since then I’ve written dozens of plays, many of which have won awards, been produced and published.
My experience with all these forms of writing have informed how I approach college essay coaching. Students come to me hoping to write a story that incorporates the ‘evidence’ of their life. As with grant proposals, these essays need to be concise, convincing and cohesive. And like a play, they need to have a dramatic arc, with an animated beginning, thought-provoking middle and reflective end. Also, as with a character’s dialogue in a play, the essay must reflect the genuine voice of the student.
I’m looking forward to sharing my love of writing with you, whether as writers, readers or collaborators. Thank you for reading my story. Now let me help you write your story, the story of your organization, of your programs or your dreams.