Our Peer Tutors

Chris (they/them) is a PhD candidate in the Department of English Language and Literature at the University of Waterloo, studying worldbuilding and mythmaking structures in video games. They have extensive experience as both a teacher and a tutor and have been supporting student writing in one form or another for nearly two decades. Chris favours an informal, collaborative, and conversational approach to writing support, helping you cultivate and emphasize confidence in your own voice. They’re comfortable working with writers from all disciplines and backgrounds at all experience levels, and especially excited to see unconventional, transgressive, and creative interventions to traditional forms and genres of academic writing.

Tamara (she/her) is a Masters' Candidate in the Faculty of Environment (SERS). She enjoys working with peers in all disciplines and brings a breadth of interests and professional teaching and writing experience to her tutoring sessions. She is particularly passionate about coaching both undergrad and grad students in the skills needed to meet the challenges of the academic learning curve, especially in the earlier stages. Seeing her peers grow in confidence and ability inspires her. Whether peers need help with pre-writing and brainstorming, or with the final details of polishing a piece of writing, Tamara supports each peer's unique needs and situation. In her own research, Tamara's thesis looks at environmental issues from a social sciences perspective that explores the human relationship with the environment.

Abh (he/him) is a PhD Candidate in the Faculty of Health studying neurodegenerative diseases, emotions, and human movement and how they are all related. He has a background in STEM and has experience in writing research proposals, reports, manuscripts, and scientific articles. Abh has also mentored undergraduate students who have completed an undergraduate thesi, from the planning and literature review stage all the way into statistical analysis and final reporting. Although experienced with STEM, he also has experience in tutoring students in different forms of communication (presentations, creative writing, CV/CL critique etc.) in various stages of their academic careers and enjoys working with students across different departments and programs.

Kyle (he/him) is a PhD student with the Department of Philosophy, specializing in social and political philosophy of language, and particularly the study of deceptive, manipulative, and oppressive uses of language. He has taught and tutored mathematics, computer science, and philosophy at various levels for the better part of a decade. Kyle considers the writing process entwined with the thinking process. He welcomes the opportunity to assist with any piece of writing at any stage in the writing process and is particularly happy to work on argumentative essays.

Ruah (she/her) is a Master’s candidate in the School of Public Health Sciences at the Faculty of Health. Ruah’s research focuses on Arabs caring for a family or friend living with dementia. She enjoys collaborating with peers of all disciplines to develop their pieces of writing or visual communication designs. Ruah believes that collaborating with peers, brainstorming, and testing various solutions can overcome most writing challenges. Ruah is particularly interested in uncovering the secrets of thesis writing and witnessing pieces of writing enhance and transform over time.

Fam (he/him) is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in Civil and Environmental Engineering department, University of Waterloo. Having taught various undergraduate and graduate courses over the past decade, I believe in fostering a collaborative and inclusive learning environment where every student feels empowered to explore and express their ideas. My tutoring ethos is rooted in the belief that effective communication is key to success in any discipline. I am particularly enthusiastic about helping students refine their technical writing skills, develop strong argumentation, and navigate academic writing. Additionally, I am comfortable working with students in English and Arabic. Whether you are looking to enhance your writing or explore new strategies for academic success, I am here to support you in your journey.

Eugenia (she/her) is a 4th-year PhD student in the Department of Biology. Her research focuses on creating plastic-degrading bacteria and producing biodegradable plastics. She is passionate about mentorship and supporting students on their professional and academic journeys. In line with this, Eugenia has held roles at the Centre for Career Development and the Student Success Office, where she assisted students with job applications and supported them in developing essential skills for university success. She has also worked as a teaching assistant, providing technical guidance and support in scientific research methods. As a tutor with the Writing and Communication Centre, Eugenia believes in creating a collaborative and supportive environment where students feel empowered to refine their ideas and improve their writing. She enjoys helping students clarify their ideas and develop strong, structured writing, supporting all stages of the writing process, especially brainstorming and refining drafts.

Michelle (she/her) is a PhD candidate in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences, specializing in the study of Barth syndrome, a rare mitochondrial disorder. She is passionate about one-on-one mentorship, assisting students with various forms of academic writing and communication including scholarships, theses/dissertations, presentations, and publications. Michelle has gained extensive experience in this area through her role as a teaching assistant and mentor for undergraduate research thesis students. Michelle’s goal is to help students from all disciplines communicate inherently complex information as clearly and effectively as possible.

Patricia (she/they) is a master's student with the Department of Sociology and Legal studies, specializing in areas of health and its intersections with criminology and disability studies. She enjoys creating a comfortable space for students to think critically about their writing assignments. Moreso, they believe that having an actively engaging one-on-one session will help encourage and inspire their peers to engage deeply with their writing. Patricia has previously worked as an undergraduate peer tutor and teaching assistant, making her confident in helping students navigate all stages of their writing.

Mary (she/her) is an undergraduate student studying Honours Environment, Resources, and Sustainability & Joint Honours Biology. She has experience working with undergraduate and graduate students from different disciplines under different circumstances, through her other positions on campus as a Career Leader (Centre for Career Development), Peer Success Coach (Student Success Office), and Peer Mentor (Faculty of Environment). Mary is most passionate and interested in resume/cover letter critiques and STEM academic writing (especially research papers) as she has is currently working on her undergraduate thesis and completed her most recent co-op in the research and development field. Additionally, she is comfortable working in English, Catalan, Spanish (speak, read, write) and Punjabi (speak).

Marina (she/her) is an Honours Science student with a passion for science and a future goal in Pharma D. As a WCC peer tutor, she's excited to assist students with a friendly, approachable style. Marina enjoys helping with art and STEM writing, making her a versatile resource for students from all disciplines. Her commitment to academic excellence and her warm demeanor make her a valuable addition to our community. 📚🔬🎨🌟

Marcus (he/him) is a Knowledge Integration student, minoring in English, Philosophy, and Cognitive Science, and a specialization in Collaborative Design. When it comes to peer tutoring, Marcus aims to guide peers to conclusions by asking questions and encouraging deeper thinking rather than providing direct answers, and to work with peers rather than instruct them. In terms of writing, Marcus is particularly interested in long-form storytelling like novels, focusing on theme and story structure. He can apply this to academic writing and create a well-structured and focused paper.

Julia (she/her) is an undergraduate student in the Honours Arts Program, majoring in History and minoring in Spanish and Latin American Studies. She is passionate about gender and women’s history and works in this field as a research assistant for The Artemisia Project. Julia is currently learning Spanish and loves listening to music, watching television, and reading in the language to help improve her comprehension skills. In her free time, Julia adores being in nature, doing activities like gardening, swimming, and biking. When tutoring, Julia enjoys supporting students’ different learning styles and unique approaches to writing and communication. While she is excited to work with students from all disciplines on all modes of communication, she particularly enjoys workshopping critical reflections and research essays.

Zhuoran (he/him) is an undergraduate student in the Double Degree program (Mathematics and Business with Co-op). He is experienced in providing tutoring services to his peers since high school. In particular, he is passionate about fields including, but not limited to, report writing, creative writing, presentation deck design for both Arts and STEM subjects and speech writing. In his work, Zhuoran has successfully designed presentation decks, speeches, and reports in different courses, and he is excited to provide helps to other students. His tutoring style involves more collaboration and dual communication so that he can gently guide the student to walk toward the goal. In addition, Zhuoran is comfortable with both English and Mandarin (both writing and speaking Chinese).

Nyah (she/her) is an undergraduate Knowledge Integration student with a minor in Psychology, a minor in Digital Arts Communication, and a specialization in collaborative design. When it comes to tutoring, she loves helping people with brainstorming, catering writing to general audiences/translating writing into plain language, creative work, and visual work like presentations and infographics. However, she also enjoys working with a variety of people, assignment, projects, and challenges. Nyah takes a collaborative, teaching-centric, and customized approach to tutoring, working with people to cater her advice to their concerns and writing styles. Outside of the Writing and Communication Centre, Nyah enjoys playing video games and table-top role playing games like Dungeons and Dragons.

Christiano (he/him) is an undergraduate student in the Faculty of Science. He has extensive experience tutoring all science subjects but particularly enjoys working with students on application essays, no matter the subject or field. He also has a rich research background and has experience with manuscript editing, updating references, and formatting for journals.

Elizabeth (she/her) is an undergraduate Environment and Business (ENBUS) student. Throughout her academic career, she has gained experience with writing research papers, reflections, cover letters, and journalism memos. She is comfortable working with students from all disciplines but is mostly familiar with essay writing. Her favourite part of the writing process is getting to brain dump and polish draft copies into a final copy.

Kayla (she/her) is an Arts undergraduate student pursuing a double major in Psychology and English Creative and Professional Writing. She has a passion for creative writing and an appreciation for poetry and storytelling. She enjoys energetic activities that might include concerts, roller coasters, trampoline parks, and more! With a strong enthusiasm for learning, Kayla takes a supportive, open-minded, and encouraging approach to tutoring. This term Kayla is working at the Writing and Communication Centre as an Arts First Peer Ambassador, and she is so excited to get to work and meet with fellow students. :)

Tasneen (she/her) is an undergraduate Arts student studying psychology and sociology. Through previous volunteer and co-op positions, she has gained experience as an English and Writing Tutor. She is particularly enthusiastic about research papers and the beginning stages of an essay. She enjoys reading, playing video games and watching true crime documentaries in her free time. Tasneen is working as an Arts First Peer Ambassador this fall term. She looks forward to helping students in a friendly and positive style!