Biographies

Hello, I'm Alexa and I am currently a mechanical engineering major here at PCC. I love stories so I most enjoy reading books, watching shows, or having conversations. I like puzzles, my favorite instrument is the piano, and I love good weather. I'm always open to learning about anything and I'm excited to work as a tutor!

Hi! My name is Andrea and I am currently majoring in Natural Sciences. In terms of my career, I am primarily interested in Neuroscience as I wish to be involved in clinical research. I am fluent in both Spanish and English. At the moment, I'm interested in pop culture, social media, and celebrity gossip. One of my recent new hobbies is rhythmic indoor cycling as I find it amusing exercising along to music as a team with others. I'm so excited to be part of the Writing Success Center team and can't wait to work with you!

Hi everyone my name is Andrew, I am currently majoring in business economics. I plan to transfer to UCLA or UCB for the School of Business. My goal as far as my career is to be an actuary and business developer. Aside from school in my free time, I enjoy many things like watching movies and listening to music. Some of my favorite movies are La Haine and Pulp Fiction.

Hi, my name is Angela and I am currently majoring in Nursing. I plan to take the nursing program offered here at PCC to become an RN. In my spare time, I love watercolor painting, calligraphy baking, shopping, and watching any murder mystery or crime drama on Netflix. I also enjoy writing, specifically how words can have a profound effect in our lives, helping us become better communicators. I look forward to working with you!

Hello All! My name is Ashley, I am majoring in biology and on the pre-medical track. I find the continuous contributions of scientific advances to medicine to be fascinating and plan to pursue a career as a physician. When I am not studying, I enjoy spending my free time painting, reading, writing, or playing tennis. I speak fluent English and Armenian. I am excited to serve in my new role as a tutor in the Writing Center!

I'm Bastian, a Humanities and Digital Media Art student with an interest in multimedia. My writing has been published both in PCC's own Inscape Magazine and through my last occupation at a local non-profit news organization. Feel free to chat with me about interactive storytelling, collage, or the minutiae of cities! As your tutor, I hope to provide tools that will help you analyze your work and communicate more strongly with each piece. Let's both write something to be proud of!

Hi! I am Brianna, majoring in Communications, and I hope to go to law school one day. I enjoy spending time with my friends exploring new places and visiting the beach often. I love reading, writing, listening to a variety of music, dancing, and photography.  I am fluent in both English and Spanish. I am so excited to join the team at the Writing Success Center and look forward to working with you!

My name is Casey and I’m a tutor at the Writing Success Center for fellow scholars at CORE (Community Overcoming Recidivism through Education). Aside from writing, my many special interests include: cats, creative writing/journalism, learning about and foraging for edible plants and mushrooms, playing the synthesizer, thrift shopping as well as cooking/baking and more! I’m interested in pursuing an interdisciplinary education centered around social justice issues and I am currently undecided on where I would like to transfer.

Hey! I’m Dylan (he/they) I’m at PCC studying studio art with a focus on ceramics. I’d like to specialize in making large scale works. I love ceramics because it’s expressive and enriching. Creating art this way grounds me. When I’m not at school making pots, I love listening to music, reading, and hanging out at the park.

Hi everyone! My name is Elise, and I’m an English major starting my second semester at PCC! I hope to transfer to a UC in the future and pursue an editing or teaching career. Typical of an English major, I absolutely love to write, but my other hobbies include drawing, photography, and playing video games. I’m grateful for the chance to be able to work with you all this year—let’s make writing fun!

Hi, my name is Isabella, but I can also go by Izzy or Isa! I am triple-majoring here at PCC before I transfer, with one of my majors being English. I love classical music, learning other languages, and reading. One of my biggest goals is to travel to all the places on my bucket list as soon as I can, as I find learning about other places and our world in general fascinating. Whenever I read, I tend to gravitate toward fiction, with a favorite author of mine being Ray Bradbury. I think it’s very interesting that the art of writing is so multifaceted and can be applied to literally any school subject or aspect of life, and I am looking forward to helping you all on your own unique writing journeys!

Hi Everyone! My name is Jazel, and I’m an English major at PCC hoping to transfer to UCLA! A bit about me: I love cooking, baking, and blasting music on any occasion. I have a record collection which is mostly Beatles and Billy Joel but I enjoy other genres such as R&B, soul, and jazz. I’m an avid movie watcher and going to the movies is one of my favorite activities. Speaking of jazz music, my favorite movie is Lala land! Since I’m an English major, it’s a given that I enjoy reading and writing outside of assignments in school. As a tutor, I look forward to helping others find fun in writing by finding their voice!

I am Jell, I am an English and Cinema History tutor for the Writing Support Center, PASS, and Puente. I love to write in my free time and read. I am a film major and I absolutely love movies. I am also literate and can write in Aurebesh (Star Wars writing). I have 4 cats and a dog. I love horror, occult, and gothy stuff. Favorite animals are bats. Collects cool t-shirts. Speaks some German. Ask me anything about Star Wars and Marvel.

Hello! My name is Jocelyn and I study Computer Engineering here at PCC. I enjoy spending my free time reading, writing, listening to music, and coding miscellaneous projects. Literature is my outlet for creativity and stress relief, with poetry holding a special place in my heart. I look forward to assisting and supporting you in your writing endeavors!

Hey, my name's Linn! I am an international student here, and I come from a Southeast Asian country called Burma. I love working with computers, and thus, I major in computer science. But you know what I love more? SOCCER. I can watch, play and talk about soccer the whole day, and it is something I cannot take out of my blood. In the same way, I also enjoy reading and writing, and that's why I decided to become a writing tutor. My favorite book series is Sherlock Holmes, and I am into both fiction and non-fiction these days.

Hi, I'm Lucy (she/they)! I am currently a Psychology major here at PCC. I plan to transfer and pursue a double major in Psychology and Sociology. I am an avid creative writer and am often jotting down ideas on napkins or receipts (the Notes app is my safe space). I love to read a variety of genres from speculative fiction to horror graphic novels; I am always looking for more books to add to my reading list. I am excited to meet and assist you all!

Hello! My name is Rose and I am majoring in Cognitive Science. I plan to transfer to UCLA to finish my bachelor’s degree. I find anything that has to do with the brain and human behavior endlessly interesting. Apart from studying, I love cooking, reading, and thrifting with friends. I believe that writing is a multifaceted tool that is used in all areas of life. I look forward to working with you!

Hello, my name is Simon. I'm majoring in Computer Information Systems and planning to transfer to CSULA next year. When I am not studying or working, I enjoy reading web serials and playing PC games. My interest in fiction is centered around narrative structure and escapist themes, but I also enjoy new vocabulary and liberally applied puns. I am thrilled to be available at the Writing Support Center for any of your advisory needs!

My name is Daizy Elena Rios. I’m currently in my second year and am a Humanities major.  PCC was my first introduction to the city, and I have been with the Writing Center since I first started my education here.  After I graduate, I plan on transferring to Cal State Long Beach and continuing my studies. I hope to learn about many different cultures.  As someone who is bilingual in both English and Spanish, and currently learning Japanese. It’s also a personal goal is to be fluent in about four languages. I hope to graduate with my AA from PCC by the fall of 2024 and plan on taking a big trip to celebrate.

Writing Center – Center Technician

I was born and raised in the beautiful city of Pasadena. I attended all of the local schools for elementary and high school and was even a Pasadena City College alumni! After completing my AA degree, I transferred to Cal Poly Pomona as a Computer Information Systems major and eventually completed my Master’s degree at Cal State Los Angeles as an Instructional Designer. I’ve worked at Pasadena City College for over 17 years in a variety of positions, including teaching part-time for the Business Information Technology Division. I currently hold the Center Technician position in the Writing Center where I work very closely each day with our wonderful and dynamic tutors, faculty and staff! 

I love to travel, go to concerts in the park, and hang out with my close friends and family. I love to read  art and music books and take long walks on the beach! 

Writing Center – Learning Assistance Center Assistant III

I moved to the US at the age of 27 with zero knowledge of English. After raising my two children I decided to follow my dreams and attend PCC at the age of 37. I am incredibly proud of my journey as a first-generation immigrant at Pasadena City College. With the remarkable support and encouragement that I received from my professors and advisors, I was able to overcome the language barrier and complete all the courses needed. Within 3 years I was able to graduate from PCC with an AS degree and four Administrative Certificates. It was not an easy journey, but hard work and determination paid off.  While studying, the campus became a second home for me. PCC gave me a sense of belonging, a place where I felt at home and where I was able to create lasting connections. Throughout the 19 years of my employment at PCC I held various positions, and I am grateful for each opportunity. Each position I held helped me  grow professionally and shape me to be the individual I am today. Currently, I hold a Learning Assistance Center Assistant III position at WSC. I am extremely honored and excited to work amongst such amazing tutors, ambassadors, staff, and faculty.

My advice to all our students is to remember that your age, family responsibilities, and background should never limit your dreams but enhance them. "If I could do it, you can do it better!!!”

I love spending time with my loved ones and close friends, taking road trips, listening to classical or country music, going to the beach early in the mornings, taking a stroll with my dog, and gardening.

Writing Center – Faculty

Education:
CSU Long Beach, BA in English (Literature & Creative Writing)
CSU Long Beach, MA in English

I began my educational journey at CSULB, where I discovered my interest in social justice, intersectionality, critical race theory, and 20th Century American Ethnic Literature, the latter eventually becoming my emphasis in graduate school. As an undergraduate, I became a Writing Tutor for CSULB’s Educational Opportunity Program, which is when I realized I wanted to work in education after college.

As a grad student, I also worked at the Orange County Juvenile Hall as an English Language Development Assistant, an experience that was transformational for me as an educator. Before landing at PCC, I worked at Fullerton College’s Academic Support Center as an Instructional Assistant. When I’m not busy working, I enjoy traveling, camping, spoiling my dog, playing video games, and gradually making my way through my never-ending list of “good” TV series.

Writing Center – Faculty

Education:
Loyola Marymount University, BA in English and Spanish
San Francisco State University, MA in English (Creative Writing and Education)

The eldest of three—and the only girl—in a traditional Mexican-American family, I learned to take risks to get what I want. One of those risks—and future blessings—was attending Loyola Marymount University. As a first gen college student and graduate, LMU helped foster my love for education through First to Go (a learning community for first generation college students), and the continuous support from faculty mentors.

But the risks don’t stop there: on a whim, I decided to attend graduate school at San Francisco State University for my Master’s in English with a concentration in Creative Writing and Education. It’s here where I discovered my love writing and learning resource centers as I worked at a literacy non-profit, 826Valencia, as a Program Associate, and City College of San Francisco as an embedded tutor. Unable to take the fog, I moved back to sunny Southern California after graduation where I began working at Santa Ana College as a Learning Facilitator and Long Beach City College as a Faculty Intern. To keep the calm during the storms, I enjoy running, hot yoga, writing poetry (keep an eye out for a published manuscript soon), and watching anime!