Dr. Amy Corbin (she/her) is an Associate Professor of Film Studies and Media & Communication at Muhlenberg College, and holds a PhD from UC Berkeley. Amy is drawn to film because of the power of visual storytelling, and embraces film’s capability to expose viewers to new places and cultures. She has been teaching at the college level for 20 years and enjoys helping students learn to be stronger critical thinkers and writers. She chairs the Writing Program Committee at Muhlenberg, helping to oversee writing instruction in all disciplines.
Amy brings that sense of empowerment to one-to-one tutoring: she finds students’ natural strengths and builds on them, coaching students towards working more independently and at a higher level. Her high school success in AP Calculus, despite it not being her “favorite” subject, gives her empathy for students who are working on skills that may not come naturally to them—and reinforces her belief that students can succeed in any subject with the right work ethic and guidance.
As RTC’s Writing Program Coordinator, Amy supports tutors, especially in college application essay writing, through a collaborative approach. Her approach to writing of all types—but especially personal essays—is to help students articulate their life experiences and perspectives in a way that connects with readers. She meets each student where they are starting in the writing process and focuses on strengthening ideas with vivid examples, while retaining each student’s unique voice.
Amy is a mother of two young children, and together they enjoy playgrounds, walks in local parks, and reading. She loves art movie theatres, live music, and yoga.
Jordan Heil (he/him) is an educator and editor, specializing in composition and developmental writing courses, with over six years of tutoring experience. His passion for reading and writing formed at an early age, leading to his study of literature at Kent State University, where he gained expertise in the field of American literature.
With the reading, critical theory, and writing skills he earned at KSU, Jordan entered Saint Joseph’s University as a master’s student in Writing Studies driven to advance his knowledge of composition pedagogy—best practices in the teaching of writing. As the first student to receive full funding in the history of the program for his outstanding work, leadership, and contributions to the program, Jordan graduated SJU as a member of Alpha Epsilon Lambda, a national honor society for graduate-level students. Post-graduation, he has served students across the spectrum of experience in the Philadelphia region—from K-8 students in an afterschool arts program in West Philadelphia to MA and PhD students at Drexel University—in his capacities as an instructor, writing center administrator, and tutor.
Jordan’s approach to education is centered in the ardent belief that writing is liberation and that all people, regardless of their backgrounds, can learn to do it well with the aid of a gentle, guiding hand. His practice as an educator proceeds from a service mindset and the Jesuit principle of cura personalis, which emphasizes care of the entire person. This ethos grew through his years of service as an ESL Specialist in the Drexel University Writing Center and as the Assistant Director of the Writing Center at Saint Joseph’s University, where he developed programs to facilitate the increased engagement of deaf/hard of hearing, adult returning, ESL, and commuter students with online writing services. He is additionally trained in the service of the LGBTQ+ community, needs of individuals on the autism spectrum, as well as those with diverse learning needs and mental health issues.
Through thousands of individual tutoring sessions and the accomplishments of his former students, Jordan is proud to have witnessed the impact comprehensive writing guidance and support can make in the lives of those who receive it. This impact is perhaps most evident during his interactions with students seeking feedback on personal statements and scholarship and college application essays. As such, Jordan is eager to help RTC students achieve their goals through similar writing tasks and much more.
When not in the throes of an academic project, Jordan enjoys writing screenplays, reading long novels, editing food-themed podcasts, cooking Mexican food, and playing with his dachshund-blue-heeler mix named Elvis. Jordan looks forward to expanding the margins of his international travel in the near future, and he’s excited to help RTC students progress in their own unique learning journeys!
George Fenton (he/him) is a writer and educator living in Philadelphia. He earned his B.A. in English from Saint Joseph’s University, and both a Teaching Certificate and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Temple University. George has been tutoring professionally for over five years. He earned his stripes in tutoring while a Writing Fellow at the Saint Joseph’s University Writing Center. While there, he tutored students in writing and presentation across every discipline at the university. He especially enjoys tutoring for Advanced Placement courses.
One of George’s favorite areas to tutor high school writers in is their college essays. Beyond the satisfaction of helping a student with admission into their dream schools, George finds joy within the medium of the college essay itself. George sees it as a unique opportunity for a student to reflect on their formation as a learner and to meditate on the type of person they want to be as they take the next step into tertiary education. Drawing these insights out of writers is one of George’s favorite aspects of tutoring.
Because of George’s experience with students from a variety of disciplines, he understands that each learner is unique in the way they absorb a topic. Thus, George likes to build educational scaffolding around the way a student already thinks, so that they may find the conclusion using their own knowledge as a jumping point. George believes that the goal of each tutoring session is not only understanding a subject, but also building self-confidence, and by extension, developing a student’s personal growth. George loves meeting learners where they are and showing them where they can go, whether it be in writing, economics, or science.
Beyond tutoring, George loves using his abilities crafting short stories and participating in The Moth’s monthly story slams at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia. George has also worked as a traveling musician, touring the country as a guitar player for several bands. Whether it’s music, painting, or writing, any creative outlet brings George great joy.
Sisi Tang (she/her) graduated from Duke University with a B.S. in Biology and History. Currently, she works as a MRI Research Specialist in the Perelman School of Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Sisi has over five years of teaching and tutoring experience and has worked extensively with high school seniors in the college application process. Much of her tutoring experience has been guiding students in essay drafting and writing the Common Application essay as well as individual school’s supplementary essays. She believes that the best writings are those that truly reflect the voice of the writer – and hence, Sisi always tries to help students find their own voices, styles, and reflections through the process of drafting and within their finished work.
Sisi’s approach to teaching is rooted in applying real-world examples and observations. She tries to bring the “outside world in” by helping students see the larger picture and using examples and practice to enhance and solidify their knowledge. In tutoring, she encourages students to capitalize on what they already know and apply those skills in different contexts. With any student, Sisi wishes to make learning fun and a lifelong adventure.
Having graduated from a very competitive and high-stress high school, Sisi really emphasizes mental and emotional well-being in the process of reaching success and achieving goals. Sisi encourages students to evaluate their school-life balance and construct a positive environment for students to set study schedules. She earnestly believes that short- and long-term success is rooted in daily emotional health, and she hopes to support students in this manner to better manage their high workloads.
In her free time, Sisi loves reading, cooking, and playing music. Her personal goal is to visit all the U.S. states and national parks by the age of 60. She is an avid follower of holistic medicine, practicing meditation and acupuncture frequently for stress relief and personal improvement.
Peter Ferris (he/him) graduated from Saint Joseph’s University with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations. He received the Political Science Award for Academic Achievement, having achieved the highest GPA of all Political Science majors in his graduating class. Peter also tutored students of all ages and experience levels on writing development and editing as a Writing Fellow in his university’s Writing Center. He has over four years’ experience teaching both writing and guitar performance, and currently teaches English at Ss. Neumann-Goretti High School in South Philadelphia.
Peter firmly believes that positive learning experiences are defined by discovery and self-determination. His favorite creative works are often defined by unique, personal observations, and he encourages his students to find similar inspiration through their own experiences.
In teaching, Peter likes to think of himself as a guide on his students’ writing journeys. He takes a malleable approach around each student’s individual learning strengths and goals, by directing them towards understanding what conditions most positively influence their work and taking the steps they feel are best for their personal development. He views each lesson as a gateway for students to experience joy and fulfillment through writing in their own ways.
When he is not teaching, Peter spends his free time volunteering with the Women’s Community Revitalization Project (WCRP) in Philadelphia as an outreach coordinator. He also enjoys film photography, powerlifting, strenuous day hikes, watching baseball and basketball, and playing with his cat, Star.
Christina Photiades (she/her) attended St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in English and Secondary Education. Christina is an 8th grade ELA teacher for the School District of Springfield Township. Before moving to Springfield, Christina taught English at South Western High School in Hanover, Pennsylvania. In her 12th grade English classes, she and her students found opportunities to draw personal connections to the literature that they analyzed and curated their own personal “Story of Me” projects. These highly individual works revealed her students’ lives to Christina, which helped her to better serve her classroom community.
After her time at SWHS, Christina moved to Spain as a Fulbright Scholar. She lived in Asturias, an autonomous principality in the northern region of the country. There, she was a cultural ambassador and English teacher of students from 12 to 50 years old. Christina explored the power of language in action: creating connections and authentic relationships. These skills have allowed her to better understand how ‘communication’ is defined and the capability that humans have to associate and interact with one another, despite differences in identities.
Christina’s teaching style relies heavily upon the relationships she has with her students; so, her approach to teaching and learning is student-centered. This allows Christina to individualize her lessons and adapt her teaching to meet the needs of the learner in front of her, and give her students better opportunities for growth.
In her free time, Christina relishes cooking and baking vegan treats. She sometimes even shares them with her calico cat, Cannoli. Christina also loves playing and watching sports – especially volleyball, baseball, and soccer. She enjoys listening to music and expressing herself creatively through writing and art.
Casey Burke (he/him) is a writer, mentor and digital marketer living in West Philadelphia. Growing up as the oldest of four siblings taught him patience and provided a foundation for the mentoring efforts he went on to pursue. These included a summer job as a camp counselor and a role in his high school’s mentoring program for disadvantaged middle schoolers, both of which cemented a passion in him for helping children grow and find joy in working toward their goals. Casey knows that every child thinks differently, and as a tutor, he is determined to identify and cater to each of his student’s individual learning styles.
Casey earned a double B.A. in English and Cognitive Science from the University of Virginia, with a concentration in literary prose. After college, he started working as a paid search analyst for a digital marketing agency, where he consistently sought opportunities for teaching and mentorship. He was selected to participate in an externship program, and these teaching experiences drew him closer to a transition to education in earnest.
Writing has been one of Casey’s passions since he was old enough to spell. For Casey, any kind of writing is a form of self-expression: helping students improve their written work is ultimately a way to help them find a singular voice and build confidence, both on and off the page. In teaching, Casey relishes the challenge of connecting with students and helping them achieve.
In his free time, Casey enjoys fiction, distance running, cooking, playing the acoustic and bass guitars, listening to his sizable record collection, and reading about philosophy and music.