Gwendolyn specializes in writing education, literary, and opinion compositions. She has some experience in "translating" technical information for non-technical readers.
Gwendolyn's interests include professional sports--especially basketball; historical documentaries--dealing with less-well-known events; and using power tools to clear brush from her farm.
Gwendolyn completed her degree in less than four years and graduated Magna Cum Laude. During her time as an undergraduate, Gwendolyn attended Akron University for a semester. She also completed six academic hours in a special program for political science students at Columbia University in New York.
Gwendolyn's focus was fiction writing. While completing requirements for the MFA, Gwendolyn also took courses for and completed the Teacher Certification program at the University of Houston.
Gwendolyn completed the school librarian certification program with a 4.00 average.
Gwendolyn began her experience in education as a middle school social studies teacher. After two years, she taught high school English for eight years. During her high school teaching tenure, Gwendolyn was also the faculty advisor to the student literary magazine. The magazine won four awards for excellence and broke previous records for sales and participation. She also taught creative writing and advised students on how to publish their work. After teaching English, Gwendolyn went back to school and received a school librarian certification. She became an elementary school librarian. Prior to working in public school and after becoming a school librarian, Gwendolyn taught college-level English and literature courses at a community college.
Gwendolyn has published two (2) creative non-fiction essays. The first essay titled "Used to be Places" was published in 2000 in Southwest American Literary Journal. The essay concerned a rural, black community that was self-sufficient in the early 20th century. Its autonomy was not an anomaly at the time because statutory segregation made interaction with whites inconvenient, undesirable, and often dangerous. Gwendolyn's first published essay was about her experience job hunting after graduating from college with honors. Her essay was published in a privately published book celebrating the millennium. Her essay was the only essay that did not praise Houston as a welcoming place.
Beginning in 1990, Gwendolyn volunteered with a women's shelter. Her initial duties included picking up women at the police station and taking them to the women's shelter office. After processing, she took the women to the shelter. It was a sobering experience because of the insight she gained into the realities of life with an abusive spouse. During her second year with the organization, Gwendolyn was asked to write and edit the center's monthly newsletter. The newsletter was a blend of information on resources--local, state, and national--and interviews with victims of abuse and abuse counselors.
Gwendolyn received no monetary compensation for her work.
Gwendolyn has volunteered with a number of campaigns in every community in which she has lived. She has answered phones, participated in block walks, campaigned for candidates in venues in which she had a connection, and participated in get-out-the vote rallies. As a political science major, Gwendolyn is familiar with the history of political movements and often advises fellow voters on issues and candidates. She is also a frequent letter-to-the-editor writer.
Gwendolyn's chief hobby is clearing brush on her family's farm. She is proficient in using chain saws, brush cutters, brush mowers, tractors, axes, and pole saws. Her house now sits on land she cleared over a period of 9 years. After getting the initial clearing done with a bulldozer, Gwendolyn did the rest of the work, mostly, on her own. Clearing the land was great therapy and fostered an appreciation for the outdoors and inspiration for book she is currently writing and editing.
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