On March 22nd, 2026, Jillian Endicott and I collaborated to create a workshop for the Writing Center Association of Southern California. Below you will find our manuscript, presentation slides, a link to a drive with all of our materials, and my reflection on my first conference research experience.

Manuscript

Presentation Slides

Click Here to Access the Drive!

Reflection:

Preparing, researching, and collaborating for this conference was a gift. One of my greatest strengths as a consultant is bringing the big picture into a session. When considering what topics I wanted to bring to WCA, I was inspired by considering tangible, big picture application for Writing Center consultants. I played with the idea of agency/ action as the intersection of theatre and Writing Center pedagogy. I considered hosting a roundtable discussion on Ambassadorship as a bridge to misunderstandings on campus. Ultimately, with Jillian Endicott, I landed on the idea of ePortfolios and self reflective journaling as tangible ways to distill and present vision statements.

Jillian and I began by exploring research on self reflection, and considering ePortfolio’s impact on post collegiate endeavors. As we started this research our scope of brainstorming expanded, challenging our distilled thesis. We wrestled with whether or not the emphasis should be on tactical tools for people to use in the future, or if it should be more open to discussion and collaboration from our session attendees. We ended up leaning towards a collaborative approach, and as such, much of our research was set aside for the sake of present conversations.

Honestly this was a stressful undertaking for me. Because of the insanity of our schedules, Jillian and I did not meet consistently in the beginning to establish our coherent vision together. Therefore, when the time came to execute, we struggled with misunderstandings regarding the intended effect of our workshop. Through the sacrifices, and clarifying direction of our Writing Studio director, Professor Zoe Litzenberg, we distilled the approach of our presentation.

Due to mismanagement on my part, I was unable to actually present at the conference, and Professor Zoe spoke on my behalf. Because of my absence, I did not experience the reward of sharing our work. To me, the interaction, the presentation, is the most fulfilling part of the process. Watching how your work can challenge, encourage, and equip another student is incredibly life giving. I was not able to appreciate this aspect of the process, and although I heard wonderful reports back, I felt disappointed that I did not get to witness it for myself.

Academic presentations have always been life giving, and fulfilling endeavors for me. While this project did not exactly fulfill me as I expected, I was so grateful for the chance to prepare my research for others. Thanks to Professor Zoe, we have created a drive full of our materials, making our content accessible to future Writing Center consultants.

As learners, there will always be a tension between our work, and its application. The further I grow in using my efforts not just for a class or a job, but for my philosophy of life, the more holistically I grow as a person. Although I did not receive the benefit of peer feedback on my work, I can still consider and apply it to my own life. Even in writing this reflection, I am practicing what I preached. Striving to understand myself, so that I can be best prepared to honor and serve the voices that come into our studio.

Future Takeaways:

• Become more aware what is on my plate
• Create space to give myself more fully to prioritized projects
• Intentionally journal post session to distill takeaways from sessions.