Academic Writing & Learning Support

Helping students develop the skills, confidence, and independence to succeed academically

I am a PhD-trained university instructor with over 15 years of experience teaching students at the undergraduate level and over 20 years of experience tutoring students from K - 12 and university. I provide online academic support for high school, university, and international students who want to strengthen their writing, critical thinking, research skills, and understanding of academic expectations.

My approach to tutoring is grounded in my experience as a teacher and researcher. I do not simply correct assignments or provide answers. Instead, I work with students to understand how strong academic work is developed: how to form an argument, engage with evidence, organize ideas clearly, and communicate complex thoughts effectively. Many students are capable thinkers who have never had the opportunity to explicitly learn how academic writing works. My goal is to make those expectations clear and help students become more confident and independent learners.

I work with high school students who want academic support or want to prepare for university. Together, we can develop stronger approaches to reading, writing, and building arguments. I provide support with:

  • English language arts

  • essay writing

  • literary analysis

  • social studies

  • history and humanities

  • research projects

  • critical thinking and argumentation

I also work with university students who are adjusting to the expectations of post-secondary education. Having taught undergraduate courses at Simon Fraser University and the University of the Fraser Valley, I understand the challenges students face when moving from high school writing to university-level research and analysis. I provide support with essays, research papers, literature reviews, academic articles, citation practices, and social science coursework. I provide support with:

  • university essays and research papers

  • literature reviews

  • research design

  • academic argumentation

  • reading and analyzing scholarly articles

  • citation practices (APA, MLA, and other styles)

  • sociology and related social science courses

For international students, academic success often requires more than simply improving English language ability. Students also need to understand the conventions of academic writing, the expectations of Canadian universities, and how to communicate ideas effectively in a new educational environment. I help international students develop the academic communication skills needed to succeed in Canadian and international universities, including:

  • academic writing conventions

  • essay structure

  • critical analysis

  • understanding professor expectations

  • reading complex academic texts

  • communicating ideas clearly in English

Why Work With Me?

Most tutors can help students complete a particular assignment. My focus is helping students develop the skills and confidence to approach academic work independently.

As a university instructor, I have spent years helping students learn how to think critically, communicate complex ideas, and succeed in demanding academic environments. I understand the challenges students face because I work with them every day in the classroom: students who have strong ideas but struggle to organize them, students who understand a topic but have difficulty explaining their thinking, and students who are unsure what professors and teachers are looking for in academic work.

My teaching approach is built around making expectations clear. I help students understand not only what a strong essay, research paper, or academic response looks like, but why it works. Through discussion, feedback, and guided practice, students develop transferable skills they can use across subjects and throughout their education.

My background as a researcher also allows me to support students with skills that extend beyond basic writing assistance. I teach students how to analyze evidence, engage with scholarly ideas, develop arguments, and move from simply reporting information toward deeper critical thinking.

My qualifications include:

  • PhD in Sociology from the University of Toronto

  • MA in Sociology from the University of Toronto

  • BA in English literature and Sociology from Simon Fraser University

  • University instructor at Simon Fraser University and the University of the Fraser Valley

  • Experience teaching introductory and advanced undergraduate courses

  • Experience managing courses with hundreds of students

  • Published academic researcher and author

  • Over 15 years of teaching experience

  • Over 20 years of tutoring experience

My teaching has consistently been recognized by students for clarity, approachability, and helping them develop deeper understanding.

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All sessions are conducted online, allowing students from across Canada and internationally to access individualized academic support. Sessions are tailored to each student's goals and may involve discussing course material, developing writing strategies, planning assignments, reviewing academic arguments, or building research skills.