Updates from Minor in Writing, Peer Writing Consultant, and M-Write Alums

Alexander Gilbert

Peer Writing Consultant • B.S. 1994

I am a physician and transplant nephrologist and am the Medical Director of the Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Program at Georgetown University. I mentor medical students and physicians in training and work with them on grant writing as well as writing academic papers on a variety of research topics in transplantation.

Rebecca G. Biber

Peer Writing Consultant • Music Education 2001

I have been teaching and performing music for the last 25 years. I have also created a second career as a poet. My first collection, Technical Solace, came out in 2017. I've just won the Barbara Stevens Memorial Poetry Prize, and my second book will be published in 2026. Look for Escapement on my website, rebeccagbiberpoet.com. Credit to the excellent writing classes at UM, and the incredible lineup of guest poets reading at Rackham, for putting me on the path! I still make my home in Ann Arbor.

Caroline Tell

Peer Writing Consultant • English 2002

Since graduating, I’ve built a career as a journalist and brand storyteller - writing across travel, culture, fashion and hospitality. I draw on what I learned at the Sweetland Writing Center every day, especially how to clarify and connect ideas, write cohesively and clearly and revise with intention. These fundamentals guide everything from reported stories, to personal essays, to brand narratives and strategy. I live in New York City, where I run Tell&Co., a content and editorial studio for lifestyle and travel brands while continuing to write for national publications like the New York Times, Travel + Leisure and more. 

Megan Higley (MacLeod)

Peer Writing Consultant • Psychology 2005

I went to law school at Wayne State. I practiced law for a few years in Metro Detroit, then I moved to Ohio for my husband's job. I work for the State of Ohio as a Disability Claims Adjudicator. My husband and I live in a rural area in central Ohio. We have an old farmhouse and a hobby farm with a small assortment of farm animals. We have three dogs who are our children. I am surrounded by Buckeye fans which is quite annoying. I use my Sweetland skills in my work writing decisions for disability claims. Go Blue! 

Jesse Wilkinson

Peer Writing Consultant •  Brain, Behavior, & Cognitive Science / minor: Gender and Health Studies (Women's Studies) 2008

I live and work in Manhattan, NYC. Since my time as a writing tutor at Sweetland and my graduate studies in Clinical Psychology, I’ve carried forward lessons in listening closely, supporting growth, and helping
learners find their voice. I now teach Psychology at a small nursing college, helping future healthcare clinicians see how psychology can inform patient care. I also launched BIGFeels NYC (www.bigfeels.nyc), where we provide social and emotional skill-building coaching for children ages 3–10, fostering emotional literacy, coping skills, confidence, self-awareness, and resilience — especially to address missed opportunities in young children’s social and emotional learning due to COVID-19.

Brad Estes

Peer Writing Consultant • History 2011

I am currently a partner at Lewis & Llewellyn LLP, a San Francisco–based commercial litigation boutique, where I represent plaintiffs and defendants across a range of industries, specializing in cases involving allegations of trade secret theft.

The skills I developed at Sweetland are part of my daily practice. Collaborating with diverse stakeholders, each with distinct perspectives, requires clear, precise, mistake-free, and audience-focused writing, whether I’m drafting a short email or a complex legal brief. I also draw on my Sweetland experience as a mentor to law students and junior attorneys, helping them refine their professional writing and communication skills.

Layne Vandenberg

Peer Writing Consultant • International Studies & Spanish 2015

Following graduation, I was a Fulbright research scholar in Brazil; completed a Master's degree at the Yenching Academy in Beijing, China; and received my PhD from the King's College London and University of Hong Kong Joint PhD program. I have spent the last several years living and working in Europe at sport governing bodies (UEFA and FIFA) and conducting academic research, where I regularly use my writing and editing skills gained while at Sweetland.

Ashley Trevithick (Austin)

Peer Writing Consultant • English 2016

Currently, I am a program manager at Apple in Austin, specializing in regulated product customer support programs. I spent more than six years previously in digital content strategy, both at Apple and at two banks, where I used many of the storytelling and narrative-building skills that I honed at Sweetland. I earned my master's degree in Media Innovation and Entrepreneurship from Northwestern University in 2019 where I learned about building digital content products. Wherever I go, I am thankful for my time at Michigan and the education that I received. 

Alec Shapiro

Peer Writing Consultant • Biomolecular Science 2018

I'm a patent attorney for a law firm in DC, but I still live in Michigan and work fully remotely. In my spare time, I play instruments, cook, do theater, and many other hobbies.

Samantha Sordyl

Peer Writing Consultant • English 2021

I live and work outside of Chicago as a college essay coach for the California-based college prep company Collegewise. I have definitely put my Sweetland skills to good use in this job! 

Marisa Wright

Minor in Writing • Political Science and Women's & Gender Studies 2021

Since graduation, I attended law school and now work as a civil rights lawyer and freelance writer. My work has appeared in the Chicago Review of Books, The Millions, Electric Literature, Prism, Ms. Magazine, Harvard Review, and more. My writing was featured in Jamelle Bouie's NYT newsletter, and my interview with author Sarah Manguso was selected for Electric Literature’s Most Popular Articles of 2024. 

Maya Simonte

Peer Writing Consultant • Creative Writing and Literature 2022

After graduating, I moved to Japan and taught English in Sendai City elementary and middle schools for three years, having many lovely conversations with students in the contact zone that is the English classroom. Last summer, I returned to the U.S. to pursue a dual masters in Children’s Literature and Library Services to Children at Simmons University in Boston. I’ve also picked up the electric guitar!

Lane Kizziah

Minor in Writing • Public Policy 2022

After graduating with my Minor in Writing, I did the Columbia Publishing Course and having been living in New York ever since. I’m currently working in the Book department at William Morris Endeavor, starting to build my list as a literary agent. 

Gigi Guida

Peer Writing Consultant • Honors Individualized Major in Urban People, Spaces, and Narratives 2023

Since graduating, I’ve chosen to shape what began as my undergrad thesis into a long-form audioseries called Seen/Unseen. To allow time and energy for its revision and wages to live by, I work a few part-time jobs in Philly that don’t require me to write or even look at a computer. Everyday when I work on Seen/Unseen I use my Sweetland skills. Most of all, I know to ask for plenty of writing support myself… sometimes even from other Sweetland alums!

Ava Seaman

Minor in Writing • History 2024

I am currently a first year law student at Wayne State Law! Sweetland strengthened my writing and research skills, which I use every day in my technical legal writing classes.