Welcome to Brazen Careerist!

About Me

As a Writing Center Fellow at Wabash College, I helped students to write better papers and foster their writing processes. Along the way, I learned some writing tips for myself and developed better writing, studying, and time management habits. I also learned the names of a few grammar/mechanics terms that I didn't know, even though I could spot many of the errors without knowing what they were called (e.g. dangling modifier, etc.).

Currently, I am in the University of Baltimore's M.F.A. in Creative Writing and Publishing Arts program, and I work as a Project Administrator and Editor at Words & Numbers, an educational content development company. Ultimately, I would love to earn at least part of my income from writing - in almost any capacity, whether it's novel-writing or short stories or something else. My dream job is to be a television writer. Working in publishing just seems to be the more realistic option, in the meantime.

As I said recently on my blog (www.rogermarket.com/blog/2012/03/15/theres-nowhere-safe), I would also love to be a photographer and/or graphic designer.

Work History

• Words & Numbers
• Project Administrator/Editor
• Febuary 2011 to Present

• — Provides excellent and prompt clerical, administrative, and editorial support to senior editors in not only math but also world languages, science, adult learning, and humanities departments
  — Transfers manuscripts via FTP, e-mail, and Basecamp
  — Has overseen, or is currently overseeing, manuscript quality checks, fact checks, originality checks, format checks, page counts, and media manuscript creation on multiple projects
  — Has served, or is serving, as writer, copyeditor, proofreader, content reviewer, assistant editor, and/or editor on multiple projects (most recently stepped into full editor and pseudosupervisor role)
  — Has previously supervised two, and is currently supervising four, entry-level employees

• Office of Technology Services, University of Baltimore
• Student Computer Lab Assistant
• January 2010 to Febuary 2011

• I worked in the Instructional Technologies branch of the Office of Technology Services, as a Student Lab Assistant. I checked out equipment to students, faculty, and staff, in addition to setting up for events where technology is need and troubleshoot technology problems in our various electronic classrooms and other venues. Additionally, I performed clerical duties such as answering phones, making copies, entering events and loans into the computer system, designing signage for the countertops and bulletin boards, etc. Finally, I edited a 41-page manual for student computer lab assistants.

• Alorica, Inc.
• AT&T Customer Service Agent
• June 2009 to August 2009

• This was only ever intended to be a summer job. I trained for 6 weeks before spending 2 weeks "on the floor" as a full-fledged CSR for AT&T. I fielded inbound calls (400–500 calls in about 5–6 weeks, including training call time). I received a 99% quality assurance score and 3 "kudos calls" (i.e., remarks to management on a job well done).

• Academic Enrichment Center, Wabash College
• Assistant to the Director of the Quality of Life in Indiana Grant
• August 2008 to May 2009

• In this role, I assisted the director by writing and editing publicity announcements for 5 campus events; hanging posters for events; editing, reformatting, and compiling text from 15-20 Word documents to be used in the biannual report for the Quality of Life in Indiana Grant; making copies if/when necessary; helping to compile 3 copies of the biannual report; and offered guidance on grammar, technology (especially Apple), and marketing strategies.

• Information Technology Services, Wabash College
• Network/Desktop Support Intern
• May 2008 to May 2009

• One of several interns in the department, I was designated as the Mac/Apple expert. During my time here, I inventoried incoming equipment (both Apple and otherwise); cloned, tested, and installed new computers in computer labs and professor offices; provided technical support to campus Mac and PC users; and performed other various duties such as rearranging departmental storage areas and transporting equipment from one area of campus to another.

• Department of Modern Languages, Wabash College
• Editor
• January 2008 to August 2008

• I worked with Professor Isabel Jaén-Portillo as an editor for her psychology writings, helping her to catch subtle grammar, usage, spelling, and other errors that she might not have known otherwise because she is Spanish and, thus, speaks English as a second language, not natively. Together, we edited approximately 71 pages, but due to her busy schedule, we eventually had to quit working together, and the project was put on hold.

• Writing Center, Wabash College
• Fellow (originally called Tutor)
• August 2007 to May 2009

• As a Fellow, I helped students to pinpoint weaknesses in thesis, cohesion, organization, argument and logic, conclusion, and grammar/mechanics. During a tutee-oriented session, I read the paper (or as much of it as time would allow), making marks on areas that I wanted to discuss with the student, and then began the help session by showing the student what he (Wabash is all-male) did right/well. I then highlighted areas where the writing could have been stronger and worked with the student to craft a better sentence, paragraph, and overall paper. I also answered the office phone, filled out reports after each session, made copies if/when necessary, and implemented a brand new, redesigned appointment sheet to help maximize ease of use. During the 2008-2009 academic year, the center held a celebration for the (I believe 30th) anniversary of its opening, and I designed signage in the form of graphs to show the center's growth and success.

• Burger King
• Crew Member, then promoted to Crew Trainer
• October 2003 to July 2007

• This was my first job. As a Crew Member, I prepared sandwiches; ran the fryers, the grill, and the bun toaster; did general food and shift prep; worked the cash register; and took orders on both front cash and drive-thru. As a Crew Trainer (a promotion I received after less than a year), I performed the above duties as well as trained new employees on proper procedures; consistently tested food product and product holding units for correct temperatures; and, on several occasions, was asked to place Crew Members in suitable positions and then run shifts in the employee formation that I designed. In both positions, I was known as an above average operator for breakfast boards, specialty board, and Whopper board, and one employee gave me the moniker "Superman." At Burger King, I was oftentimes independent (sometimes, perhaps to a fault) but was always happy to work as a member of the team; after all, that's when productivity goes through the roof.

Education

• University of Baltimore
• M.F.A. Creative Writing and Publishing Arts, Fiction
• 2009 - 2013

• Wabash College
• B.A. English
• 2005 - 2009

• I minored in history – emphasizing Chinese history, Ancient Roman history, and world colonialism – and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa.

  I was also inducted into Sigma Alpha Pi (The National Society of Leadership and Success), Sigma Tau Delta (The International English Honor Society), and Phi Alpha Theta (The International History Honor Society).

  Finally, I was a member of the French Club and the Fiction Writers of Wabash (during which time I published 3 short stories and edited approximately 7), and I served as Vice President of the Student Mac User Group.