The FLA Writing Center tutors are postgraduates in or graduates of Sophia University programs. They have all gone through training to ensure they can offer the most in their tutorials. As most tutors are in the process of writing and researching themselves, they are in the ideal position to help other student writers with their writing needs.
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Allysha
Experience in Japan: Being a third culture kid of Filipino and Japanese descent, I had moved back and forth from my home countries throughout my childhood. From 2012 onward, I have since lived in Japan while attending the International School of the Sacred Heart for my secondary education. In 2021, I started attending the FLA Program at Sophia University to pursue an international education while having a deeper appreciation of Japanese history and culture. Academic Writing Experience: While having been an avid writer my entire life, I began to seriously pursue academic writing throughout my years in secondary school. Not only had I taken the Advanced Placement programs for English Language and English Literature, but I utilized these writing skills in persuasive speech writing as a part of a Debate team. These skills have been further improved and reinforced under the FLA Core Program, as I continue to apply my love for writing in my studies. Although I have much more to learn about academic writing, I hope that I can support other students’ academic writing journey and share my love for written language with others. |
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Ann
Experience in Japan: I first encountered Japanese history and literature in high school and immediately took an interest, particularly in novels and literary culture. I found the historical context, narrative structures, as well as the thematic and symbolic components employed by Japanese authors to be diverse and beautiful, and there began my life-long appreciation and enthusiasm for the field. It was not until my sophomore year of my undergraduate degree, however, that I fully dedicated myself to Japanese studies. After a brief visit to Japan in 2019, I officially switched my history major to Asian Studies, concentrating on Japanese culture and literature with a minor in history. As of spring 2023, I was accepted into Sophia University’s graduate school of Global Studies (Japanese Studies), where I now study Japanese literature and culture. Academic Writing Experience: I have a diverse writing and research background ranging from academic to professional and business communication, which has given me excellent perspective and a wide range of skills for tackling difficult projects, conducting research, and developing organizational practices. Additionally, I have written on a large assortment of subjects, from history to data collection, as well as my current field of literature and cultural studies. During my undergraduate career at the University of Minnesota, I dedicated myself to improving as a writer, not only by seeking out additional research projects and critiques from my professors but also by regularly re-evaluating my work, targeting potential weaknesses, and rewriting—practices that have helped me become a more confident and adept writer. I understand that finding a voice and constructing a concise and clear argument is not always easy and takes dedication, but I am excited to work with students to help them develop their skills and succeed. |
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Chae
Experience in Japan: My interest in Japanese art and culture bloomed while majoring in oriental painting in my hometown of Seoul, Korea. Learning about the beautiful, irreplaceable history of traditional Japanese artworks sparked my desire to study Japanese and led me to pursue an undergraduate degree in Japan. Therefore, with a passion for studying and working among Tokyo’s famous museums and galleries, I enrolled in the Faculty of Liberal Arts in the spring of 2024. Academic Writing Experience: Having graduated from a public school in Korea, my academics were based on a traditional Korean educational system. This background limited the opportunity to utilize English in an academic setting. Therefore, upon admission, I was afraid to participate in the FLA Core Program classes. I struggled to pass English Composition 1 and was uninspired to write countless essays. However, with the support and feedback of my English Composition 2 and Thinking Process professors, I became motivated to engage deeply in academic writing and hone my writing skills. This effort resulted in a great sense of achievement, and I wish to share my experience and knowledge with everyone who visits the Writing Center. |
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Emma
Experience in Japan: I first developed an interest in Japan after being exposed to Japanese history in middle school. I then began consuming whatever media I could find that was related to the country, and in high school, I was fortunate to spend a summer in Gunma Prefecture doing a homestay. After that, my love of Japan and Japanese culture was cemented. I began formally studying the Japanese language in college, with the intention of one day returning to Japan to live and work, and after graduation, I became an English teacher in Gifu Prefecture, where I taught for six years. I am now excited to be continuing my studies in Japanese history and culture through the MA in Japanese Studies at Sophia University’s Graduate School of Global Studies. Academic Writing Experience: As an undergraduate in the Honors Program of my university, I was exposed to a wide variety of academic writing styles and analysis, and went on to write research papers for academic conferences and an undergraduate thesis. I applied this experience to my position as a tutor at my university’s Writing Center, where I guided fellow students from both the sciences and the humanities through the full writing process, from brainstorming ideas to drafting outlines to revision. The various techniques I learned at the Writing Center proved invaluable to my students and helped me throughout the process of writing my undergraduate honors thesis. As someone who both loves writing and yet still occasionally experiences dread at looming essay deadlines, I understand the value of having a coherent writing strategy for tackling tough assignments. I look forward to sharing my knowledge and insights with other students, with the hope of building up their confidence and competence as writers. |
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Erin
Experience in Japan: I have been studying Japanese culture and language since I was in high school, where I was part of a sister city cultural exchange between my hometown and Narashino, in Chiba Prefecture. Since then, I have fallen in love with Japanese folklore and mythology, and I am spending my time at Sophia chasing stories in every corner of the country. I originally graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the United States with a BA in history, a BA in theater, and a minor in Japanese, before coming to Yokohama to study Japanese language, and finally to Sophia to study folklore. Academic Writing Experience: My writing experience is very diverse, including preparing research for presentation at an exposition, thesis research and writing, grant proposals, and fiction writing. In academic writing, I really gained the bulk of my experience while earning my history degree. Research, digitization, synthesization of sources: the projects I was undertaking in history required it all, and it was through that process that I learned I have a real love for the work and a desire to pursue it personally and professionally. Through that, I pursued internships in digitizing and transcribing documents for historical law research, as well as independent research and writing on topics of personal interest. I am currently celebrating my first publication in a fictional literary journal for Greek mythology and literature, which I hope will be the first of many. |
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Mark
Experience in Japan: I moved to Japan in 2018 with my wife when we decided we wanted to start our family in the country that she was raised in. Having been interested in Japanese history and culture since my youth, I re-enrolled in college as an adult and earned my degree in Asian Studies at Temple University Japan Campus. I fell in love with academia and decided to continue my academic journey at Sophia University in the GPGS program as a Global Studies major. While completing my undergraduate studies I have also worked as a teacher at a bilingual preschool (2018-2022) and an international school in Tokyo (2024-present). Academic Writing Experience: My experience as a writer is in both academic and professional fields. When I was completing my undergraduate degree I worked as a writing tutor, student mentor, and as a Diamond Peer Teacher in Temple University Japan’s Sociology department. Some of my responsibilities included helping students refine their main ideas, moderating class discussions, and creating lecture content. My student work extended to being a member of Temple Japan’s Institute of Contemporary Asian Studies, where I worked on a research team with other undergraduate students. As such, I am familiar with research reports, research papers, writing within confined word limits, and graduation theses. I greatly enjoy the writing process and want to help others refine their skills and be more confident writers. |
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Sara
Experience in Japan: I have spent my entire life in Japan, having been born in the city of Yokohama and attending an international school there from kindergarten through middle school. I transferred to a nontraditional high school based in Tokyo where I continued to study in English via independent, project-based learning and began my undergraduate studies at Sophia University’s Faculty of Liberal Arts in the fall of 2022. Although Japan is the only place I can definitively call “home,” I am a product of the diverse mix of cultures I encountered at international school and those passed down to me from both my Korean and Japanese father’s and my Filipino mother’s sides of the family. Academic Writing Experience: Writing was never my strong suit nor a particular interest of mine until sometime in high school when I began to read more widely and became allured by the power of carefully written prose. My efforts at honing my writing abilities have proven productive, but the task of writing continued to be more a source of frustration than fulfillment. This began to change, however, as I learned about academic writing and received feedback from my professors in English Composition 1 and 2, helping to ease the uncertainties that once pervaded my writing process. I hope to transmit the knowledge and guidance I have received thus far to help others achieve the confidence and fulfillment I have found in writing. |
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Tram
Experience in Japan: My journey to Japan was sparked by the experiences I had working with Japanese people during my gap years in high school. It was during that time that I was captivated by Japanese culture and its unique cuisine. After a few visits to Japan, I made the decision to resume my studies with the goal of graduating from high school and pursuing further education in Japan. In 2020, I enrolled in a Japanese language school to hone my Japanese skills, and by Spring 2023, I was accepted into the Faculty of Liberal Arts at Sophia University. Academic Writing Experience: Born and raised in Vietnam, my education centered on traditional schooling where Vietnamese served as the primary medium of instruction. Until 2019, my exposure to English was limited to rote memorization of vocabulary and grammar for in-class exams. However, in 2020, driven by my ambition to gain admission to the Faculty of Liberal Arts (FLA) at Sophia University, I embarked on a dedicated journey to master English. After three years of unwavering commitment, I succeeded in securing a place in the FLA. Despite this achievement, academic writing remained unfamiliar territory for me. My first essay in the English Composition 1 class was filled with comments and question marks from my professor; I had no idea what unity and coherence meant. However, through rigorous study and perseverance, my writing skills significantly improved after two semesters in the FLA Core Program: I now find myself equipped to communicate effectively as a writer. Having rapidly transformed from someone struggling to construct a coherent sentence to being recommended to work as a tutor at the Writing Center, I am eager to help students to become stronger writers. |
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Zion
Experience in Japan: Born and raised near the harbors of Yokohama, I have studied in an international environment all my life. I attended an international school in Kanagawa and obtained the International Baccalaureate® Bilingual (IB) Full Diploma before studying abroad briefly at NYU. I am a student at the Faculty of Liberal Arts, pursuing filmmaking both on and off campus. Academic Writing Experience: I have extensive writing experience, primarily through the IB Program. I took many essay-based courses, covering a wide range of subjects from social studies to literature. In addition, I have written several research papers on STEM subjects, which allowed me to experience various styles of academic writing. Through the FLA Core Program, I have continued developing my writing skills, and I hope to share some tips and tricks to improve your academic writing and analysis capabilities. |
Do you have what it takes to be a writing center tutor?
FLA Writing Center Tutor Qualifications
Applicants should…
*Applicants must also have a ‘Working Permission’ and ‘Residence Card’.
Job Description
If you are interested in working as a tutor, please email the Writing Center ([email protected]).
In your email explain why you want to work for the FLA Writing Center and how many semesters you will be able to work. In addition, attach a CV/resume, a recent writing sample for evaluation, and a prospective writing center tutor bio and photo in your application (see TUTORS section above for examples of tutor profiles) .
FLA Writing Center Tutor Qualifications
Applicants should…
- be Graduate Students** or Alumni of Sophia University or exceptional undergraduate FLA students that have been encouraged to apply by their Core Program Professor.
- have advanced proficiency in spoken and written English.
- be comfortable providing feedback on students’ written assignments, essays, reports, and other papers.
- be friendly, supportive, and enthusiastic about providing academic advice to undergraduates.
- have a strong sense of responsibility.
- be reachable via email.
- be able to work at least two days and two sessions a week for a minimum of two semesters (hours are flexible).
*Applicants must also have a ‘Working Permission’ and ‘Residence Card’.
Job Description
- Successful applicants will receive training and have the opportunity to observe experienced tutors.
- Writing Center tutors are expected to visit classes and introduce the Writing Center to students at the beginning of each term.
- Writing Center tutors are expected to assist with and facilitate Writing Center workshops.
If you are interested in working as a tutor, please email the Writing Center ([email protected]).
In your email explain why you want to work for the FLA Writing Center and how many semesters you will be able to work. In addition, attach a CV/resume, a recent writing sample for evaluation, and a prospective writing center tutor bio and photo in your application (see TUTORS section above for examples of tutor profiles) .