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WHO I AM

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

It's supposed to be hard. If it were easy, everyone would do it.
―Tom Hanks in A League of Their Own


   My entire education career has been blessed with some of the best educators around. And when I contemplate what made each of them so great, a trend starts to emerge. The most influential teachers in my life were the most challenging, the ones whose grades never came easy, the ones that expected nothing but our best effort and best work because they knew we could rise to the occasion. But this expectation was complemented by a complete dedication to their students, going above and beyond to give more of themselves than asked, in their tireless work ethic to help us learn about their subject and about life. It is this collection of teachers-turned-mentors that inspire my own philosophy of teaching. It’s difficult to sustain the level of extraordinary dedication to students and teaching I’ve witnessed from my own teachers. And it’s challenging for students to rise to great expectations when they’re conditioned to do the bare minimum. But if it were easy, everyone would do it. 
    As for me, I accept this challenge as a teacher and hope to inspire my students to greatness by adopting four major tenets in my screenwriting pedagogy: practice, inquiry, engagement, and compassion.

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curriculum vitae

CURRICULUM VITAE (abbreviated)

EDUCATION

Association of College and University Educators (ACUE)
Certificate in Effective Instruction: Effective Online Teaching Practices | May 2022
This certificate signifies completion of a 25-module course in effective teaching practices requiring the implementation of evidence-based instructional approaches. The credential is co-issued by the American Council on Education (ACE) and distinguishes faculty for their commitment to educational excellence and student success.
 

Boston University College of Communication, Boston, MA  |  May 2018
Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting; GPA 3.83/4.0

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Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX  |  May 2014
Bachelor of Arts in Film, Television & Digital Media and Writing            
John V. Roach Honors College Laureate; GPA 3.831/4.0 (magna cum laude)

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TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ  |  8/2022 - Present

Faculty Associate Professor for "Principles of Screenwriting"

  • Lectured and mentored students on the principles of screenwriting such as story theory and script formatting.

  • Prepared course materials, evaluate student work, and assist students inside and outside of class time.

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Scottsdale Community College, Scottsdale, AZ   |  October 2019 - Present

Adjunct Professor for "Introduction to Story Theory" and "Short Script Incubator" and "Pre-/Production"

  • Established the first short script incubator program, a free workshop experience for film students.

  • Lectured and mentored students on basic screenwriting story theory, especially feature script writing.

  • Conducted back-to-back 5-week accelerated Intermediate Pre-Production and Production courses.

  • Created welcoming and engaging classroom environments in person and live online.


Boston University Film & Television Department, Boston, MA  |  September 2017 – May 2018
Teaching Assistant for “Storytelling for Film & Television” - rsemik.wixsite.com/ft310workshop

  • Facilitated weekly script workshops by engaging 12 undergraduates in respectful, constructive group feedback.

  • Designed lesson plans/small group activities to complement workshops and involve students in active learning.

  • Provided detailed script feedback for students in writing, in class, and in one-on-one office hour meetings.

  • Created scaffolding model for script writing process to incorporate metacognition practices for students.

  • Improved class communication and support by designing and updating personalized class website.

 

ORGANIZATIONS & SERVICES 
Maricopa County Community College District, Tempe, AZ

  • Faculty Association Collaboration Team (FACT), Adjunct Faculty Representative  |  June 2021 – May 2022

  • Reflective and Experiential Applied Practices (REAP) Development Committee  |  January 2022 – April 2022

  • Adjunct Faculty Association, FACT Representative | Website Manager  |  June 2021 – December 2021

Scottsdale Community College

  • Vortex Celebration/ Awards Ceremony, Plays and Scripts Awards Judge & Presenter  | April 2022 | April 2023

  • Scottsdale School of Film+Theatre, Capstone Taskforce Member  |  March 2021 - Present

  • Scottsdale School of Film+Theatre, Capstone Script Consultant  |  October 2019

Boston University

  • Delta Kappa Alpha, Screenwriters’ Circle Chairperson  |  January 2018 – May 2018 

  • Delta Kappa Alpha, Webmaster  |  January 2018 – May 2018

  • Community Service Center, Alternative Spring Break Chaperone  |  February – March 2018

PrideArts, Chicago, IL

  • Film Festival Screener 11/2021 – 12/2021

Broadcast Education Association (BEA) Festival of Media Arts

  • Student Scriptwriting Competition, Judge  |  January 2018, January 2019

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AWARDS 
Industry

  • Semifinalist, WeScreenplay Diverse Voices Lab | October 2020

  • Semifinalist, The Future of Film is Female Fund | September 2020

  • Best Short Screenplay Finalist, Austin Revolution Film Festival  |  July 2018

  • Quarter-finalist, The Golden Script Contest  |  May 2018

  • Finalist, Fleder-Rosenberg Short Script Contest  |  March 2018

  • Short Screenplay Finalist, Phoenix Film Festival  |  February 2018 

  • Short Screenplay Finalist, Hill Country Film Festival  |  April 2017

  • Drama Feature Category – Finalist, Las Vegas Screenplay Competition  |  March 2017

  • Finalist, Pride Films & Plays Great Gay Screenplay Competition  |  November 2016

  • Best Feature Screenplay Semifinalist, Austin Revolution Film Festival  |  August 2016

  • Best Feature Screenplay, Hill Country Film Festival  |  April 2016

Academic

  • COM Graduate Student Selected Commencement Speaker  |  May 2018

  • COM Representative, Boston University Innovation Conference  |  April 2018

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SELF-REFLECTION

    Ever since my parents made it a family ritual to spout contextually relevant movie quotes to each other around the dinner table, I’ve been captivated by movies and the stories they tell. I love how film has the power to bring people together and offer new perspectives and insights into the lives of others so different from us whether it be in terms of race, religion, or sexual orientation.
    Becoming a better storyteller is important to doing justice to themes and characters I am passionate about, particularly feminist and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) characters and themes. Media is evolving: honest portrayals of women and LGBTQ people are now examining characters’ full lives, making these identifiers simply one side of a multifaceted, textured shape. Moreover, these portrayals, in shows like Orange Is the New Black and Sense8 and Pose, allow queer people to connect and identify with film narratives in a way that those who are heterosexual and cisgender unknowingly take for granted. With such media narratives, the straight community is also unwittingly served a glimpse into a community that needs more understanding so that fear, and the resulting discrimination, can be extinguished.

    Tapping into this need for better representation of gender and sexuality is something I explored in my Honors Thesis screenplay. This ensemble endeavor, led by a gay woman, explores the lives of a group of friends, addressing topics such as mental deterioration, adultery, unplanned pregnancy, single motherhood, and love’s impact on the direction our lives take. The screenplay’s strength lies in its exploration of these young people’s choices and relationships, but its uniqueness lies in its focus on a female—and lesbian—lead.
    Some of the most rewarding experiences I had was presenting it to faculty and students as the alum speaker for the Home Grown edition of the TCU Live Oaks Reading Series and seeing an enhanced staged reading of the full script in Chicago by Pride Films & Plays. In both, I was afforded a glimpse into the life I seek to make for myself, and it has firmly cemented my commitment for working, learning, and growing in the higher education field. So off to Boston University I went and earn my MFA in Screenwriting I did. I was able to get hands-on experience teaching undergraduates and really build my confidence as a university instructor. The lessons I learned inform my instruction at the Scottsdale School of Film+Theatre to this day. I'll have accomplished my personal mission if I can empower the next generation of writers to speak their truth and share their much-needed voices with the rest of the world.

self-reflection

DIVERSITY STATEMENT

    For me, diversity in learning and representation matter in the classroom. Having gone through various stages in my own life where I've been a shy student in class but also the Hermione Granger, I recognize that student engagement can and should be approached from different angles. For example, participation can of course take the form of offering a comment or answer to the class at large, but even breaking the class into small groups or pairs can provide less intimidating circumstances by which to contribute. While in-class participation is crucial, especially for workshop discussion-based classes, some students simply aren't comfortable engaging in traditional ways, despite all efforts to create the optimal environment. In this case, I accept alternative ways to participate that don't require direct verbal in-class contributions. Even a written feedback contribution, office hour meeting, or industry article share demonstrates participation and ownership of the class, so they are included in participation.

    Diversity in representation is also incredibly important for students not typically represented to feel seen and heard in the classroom and for those in the typical majority to foster a greater sense of empathy as they gain exposure to different cultures and identities. For me as an educator, this means selecting examples that are inclusive or different nationalities, races, religions, sexual orientations, and gender identities. In my short scriptwriting class, I'll show films like In A Heartbeat about a young boy in love with another boy, and international short films like Listen about a Muslim woman seeking police protection from her abusive husband and Election Night about a Danish man racing to the polls. Diversity in representation gives students more freedom to explore story ideas that matter to them on a personal level and the sensitivity to handle what some might view as potentially controversial topics.

diversity statement
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