» Meet the Consultants
Our consultants are undergraduate and graduate students yielding from a variety of different disciplines on Campus. You can read more about our director and each consultant below.
Aurora Matzke
Writing Center Director
B.A. in English, Cal Poly SLO; M.A. in English with an emphasis in Composition and Rhetoric, Cal Poly SLO; PhD in Rhetoric and Composition from Miami University
Aurora is an assistant professor and the Writing Center Director at Chapman. She has previously worked and led several different writing and consulting centers, with an emphasis on linguistic justice and educational equity. Recent publications include work in Writing Center Journal, Peitho, and Writing Program Administration.
Aurora has over 20 years of experience working with grants, dissertations, theses, professional writing, STEM writing, and more. She enjoys working with original research of all types and she is in the top 10% of all Spotify users.
Graduate Consultants
Amelia M.
Amelia is a graduate student at Chapman School of Pharmacy and has a B.S. in Biology. She has extensive history in clinical research, lab reports, and science-based essay writing. Amelia is passionate about creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for students to get support in writing.
Amelia has previously worked as a research assistant and research coordinator. She enjoys working with lab reports and research projects.
Caitlin T.
Caitlin is a third-year student and J.D. Candidate at the Fowler School of Law and has a B.S. in Arts, Technology, and the Business of Innovation. Prior to law school, Caitlin worked as a brand strategist for various technology companies in Silicon Valley. For the past two summers, she has served as a law clerk for the County of Los Angeles in their Child Support Services Division. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her dogs, exploring the depths of Wikipedia, and reviewing new books from NetGalley.
Caitlin can help with projects in all academic areas and in any stage of development. She believes anyone can learn to write well and loves helping students crystallize their thoughts and polish their ideas.
Karina S.
Karina is a graduate student pursuing an M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy at Chapman University. She grew up in NorCal, received a B.S. in Biology from UC Santa Barbara, and is excited for her future as a mental healthcare provider. Between undergrad and graduate school, Karina worked as a medical assistant and research assistant. Throughout her academic and professional career, she has become proficient at scientific writing including writing lab reports, presenting medical research, and creating research posters. Her love for education is a core part of who she is, and she is excited to share this with other students! More than anything else, Karina loves meeting new people and working with them to help highlight their unique individual strengths. While she has a science background, she is also open to helping students with resumes, cover letters, essays, and more.
In her free time, Karina loves spending quality time with friends and family, practicing yoga, dog-sitting, and going to the beach!
Katherine C.
Katherine is a graduate student at Chapman University currently pursuing an Ed.S. in School Psychology and an M.A. in Educational Psychology with an LPCC emphasis and has a B.A. in Psychological Science and a minor in Education. Her diverse professional background spans various settings including schools, clinics, and community environments, encompassing roles in research and mental health support. She has experience in both writing and presenting research and has worked on research papers, proposals, presentations, and competitions. Katherine is particularly knowledgeable about research writing in the social sciences but is also available for help with other writing projects.
Outside of her academic pursuits, Katherine enjoys crocheting, rock climbing, and attending concerts.
Kayla J.
Kayla is a graduate student in Chapman's Doctorate of Physical Therapy Program at the Rinker campus and has a B.S. in Neurobiology, Physiology, & Behavior. She enjoys elevating and stylizing essays for graduate school admissions applications, learning about individuals' unique life experiences, and editing other written works such as course essays, editorials, and creative writing. If you are looking for help with editing, brainstorming ideas, or planning/structuring projects, she is happy to help!
Kayla has been a former PT aide in Davis, coordinator & medical assistant with the UC Davis student clinic, and an APTA member. She used to be a pre-professional ballerina and former dancer (hip hop, jazz, modern, theatre) and she loves to gym. Kayla enjoys working with graduate school personal statements, essays, application planning, creative writing, and research manuscripts.
Mariah S.
Mariah is an inspiring graduate student studying screenwriting with a bachelor’s degree in English and American Literature from New York University. She believes in having an open mind and an empathetic mindset while giving constructive feedback. She enjoys watching movies, playing video games, and reading in her spare time.
Peter V.
Peter is a second-year graduate student in the Marriage & Family Therapy Program at Chapman University and has an A.A. in Korean Language and an A.A. in Liberal Arts & Teacher Studies. His professional experiences include working as a behavioral specialist, in e-Commerce production at Taco Bell, and as a linguist in the military. He has experience creating writing products in the areas of psychology, language & cultural studies, history, current events, and education. He is now working as a Graduate Writing Center Consultant with a focus on Social Sciences.
In his free time, Peter enjoys singing (badly) and playing music, playing board games, and playing sports, especially basketball!
Samantha W.
Samantha is a graduate student in Creative Writing with a B.A. in Screenwriting and a minor in Photography. With experience as a story analyst in film and television, she has worked for studios and production companies on everything from reading general submissions to consulting on projects in active development. She likes helping students brainstorm and organize their thoughts, compose papers & projects, and make progress toward their academic & professional goals.
She can help with various projects in all academic areas, including but not limited to resumes, creative writing, screenwriting, poetry, English, general papers & essays, and Graduate Pulse Checks.
Tanshi M.
Tanshi is a graduate student in Chapman's MA in Marriage and Family Therapy program who has previously worked as a research assistant and consultant and has a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Economics. She has experience writing research papers, presenting research at regional and student conferences, and conducting both human subjects and qualitative research studies. She enjoys helping students feel prepared, capable, and excited to pursue their academic and professional goals.
Tanshi has previously worked as a Spanish and economics consultant and a research assistant. She enjoys working with graduate school applications, cover letters, and research papers in social sciences, and she has an insatiable sweet tooth!
Undergraduate Consultants
Avery H.
Avery is double-majoring in Business Administration and Psychology. With passion and experience writing in many areas from creative writing to research papers, she has a keen eye for detail and is excited to help Chapman students meet their personal, professional, and academic writing goals. Avery is happy to help with editing and brainstorming essays, research reports, and job-related writings!
She has previously worked as a newsletter intern and enjoys working with creative writing, cover letters, resumes, personal statements, research papers and projects, and job or school applications. Avery is currently a student athlete at Chapman, and she can never resist a good, sweet treat!
Francisco C.R.
Francisco is an undergraduate screenwriter at the Dodge College of Film and Media Arts. Being a first-generation student coming from a non-artistic background, he's had to pursue his own interests and discover the love of writing and creative ideation which has brought him to one of the top film colleges in the country. At the Writing Center, he can't wait to help reinvigorate other students' ideas and remind them of how far they've come.
He is fluent in Spanish and enjoys working with creative writing, poetry, writing for film, cover letters and personal statements. Francisco has a great admiration for the arts, live performances, and loud music.
Jacob Z.
Jacob is studying Software Engineering and is from Memphis, TN. He wrote for his high school's newspaper and thought he wanted to write historical fiction until he took a coding class his freshman year. Even though he spends most of his time programming nowadays, he still feels the need to scratch the itch to write. He likes to read literary and historical fiction in his free time and is excited to help his fellow students improve their ability to express themselves in whatever class or subject that they are taking.
Jacob has worked as a math and computer science consultant for the University. He particularly enjoys working with creative writing and communication studies, and his favorite book is Shogun by James Clavell.
Olivia R.
Olivia is a student in the Applied Human Physiology program and the English Literature program at Chapman University. She has clinical experience after working as a medical scribe in the Emergency Center at San Antonio Regional Hospital. She has also engaged in numerous rhetorical projects including an analysis of the MeToo movement and is currently working on analyzing the "Pro-Woman, Pro-Life" framing in the abortion discourse. She is riveted by women's health and hopes to continue learning about this topic in both the life sciences and rhetoric. Olivia loves working with the oral form of English having presented on Body Confidence at a TEDx Youth conference at the age of 14 and enjoys spoken-word poetry.
She is fluent in Japanese and was previously a medical scribe at San Antonio Regional Hospital. She enjoys working on topics within rhetoric and composition, particularly healthcare discourse, with a recent emphasis on studying language ideology. Olivia loves chocolate but hates beets.
Savana B.
Savana is a major in Screenwriting and Psychology and a minor in Italian Studies. She serves as the Executive Internal Relations Officer on Chapman's Black Student Union executive board, Membership Chair for Chapman's Mortar Board, and is a member of Pi Beta Kappa Honor Society. Savana is also a member of Chapman Twilight! In her free time, you can find her reading, dancing, enjoying time with loved ones, writing fiction, or baking a sweet treat! She has a passion for helping students strengthen their writing and reach their fullest potential.
She enjoys working with creative writing, screenplays, scripts, and English papers. Savana is a huge Yogurtland enthusiast and works hard to keep their doors open!
Vi P.
Vi is studying Business Administration at Chapman and minoring in Law and Liberal Arts and hoping to attend law school in the future. She has previously worked in various consulting centers for grade school through college, assisting with English, math, and sciences. In her free time, she enjoys reading classical literature and philosophy books or playing video games, and she is excited to help students excel in their writing and meet their goals.
She is fluent in Vietnamese. Vi particularly enjoys working with creative writing, argumentative essays, and business writing. Her favorite author is Donna Tartt, and she can play five instruments.