The Flagship Schools Admissions Essay Tutoring Program
The College Admissions Personal Essay Tutoring Program project began as a way to support our colleagues and the students at Austin-East, where six students died from gun violence in 2021. That summer, the department and the Judith Anderson Herbert Writing Center began a powerful collaboration with Austin-East High School to make sure that every senior who wanted a private tutor for their college admissions personal essay could have one. Since its modest origins, Kirsten Benson and her team in the JAHWC have been able to scale this program to offer college admissions essay help to seniors at any of East Tennessee’s Flagship High Schools, including Austin-East, Central, and Fulton. In fall of 2021, we also hosted “Literature Explosion” at Austin-East, a week-long series on creative writing, telling your story, and literary engagement. Our Graduate Students in English started a YA Book Club at the Phyllis Wheatley YWCA in East Knoxville 2020, building on the previous Poetry Project. These ambitious and growing projects are supported by the Office of Diversity and Engagement, the Judith Anderson Herbert Writing Center Endowment, the John C. Hodges Better English Fund, and our alumni donors.