April 02, 2025
Meghan O'Toole
Student tutors present research at Midwestern Writing Center Association conference
Four Lake Forest College students who work in the College's Writing Center as tutors attended and presented research at the Midwestern Writing Center Association (MWCA) conference March 13-15.
Psychology major and gender, sexuality, and women's studies minor Nicolle Bek '25, sociology and anthropology and environmental studies double major Sofia Santana '25, politics and data science double major Shellane Shettleworth '26, and education and English double major and gender, sexuality, and women's studies minor Samantha Pindiak '27 were accompanied by Director of Writing Programs and Associate Director of the Writing Center Daniel Henke.
Bek presented research at MWCA on the need for more disability-aware pedagogy.
“Several attendees and fellow tutors approached me to emphasize how important my research was,” Bek said. “They opened up about their own experiences, which let me recognize the impact of my research.”
Attending conferences helps students gain hands-on experience as well as a feel for the professional environment and community of possible future career paths.
“Presenting builds confidence, perseverance, and resilience,” Henke said. “To be an undergraduate student presenting in a room full of doctorates and graduate students is impressive, and being able to present is a marketable skill.”
The group from Lake Forest College presented on the following:
Challenges of Writing and Beyond in Higher Education: Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Development of Tutors and Clients
Sofia Santana '25, Samantha Pindiak '27, Nicolle Bek '25, Daniel Henke - Lake Forest College
This panel addressed obstacles posed by higher education's writing standards, which limit clients’ and tutors’ learning development and self-expression in tutoring sessions. Navigating the language superiority and traditions within standardized education requires rethinking how to address various emotional, social, and cognitive spaces while tutoring writing strategies.
Work Smarter, Not Harder: Ethical AI Integration in the Writing Center
Shellane Shettleworth '26, Daniel Henke - Lake Forest College
This presentation argued that a collaboration between writing tutors and AI resources mitigates the limitations of AI while concurrently advancing writing center support. As AI tools continue to gain traction among students and instructors, it is paramount to develop strategies informed by compiled research that maintain academic integrity while facilitating students’ writing development.