About Me Most of the things I need to know, I figured out in graduate school I didn't set out to become a social science research consultant and editor. To be honest, I had no idea that either of these career choices even existed until I went to university! What I did know was that I had a preference and talent for working with words, communicating (especially in writing), organizing and interpreting information, and explaining concepts to others. I decided I would study social sciences (Criminology), and then maybe consider going on to law school as I knew I'd get to use many of my strengths in a legal career.
I never did go to law school. I was so fascinated with learning about the justice system, social justice issues, and research methodologies that I chose to continue my studies in Criminology. I also landed a job as a research assistant during my third year of university and I enjoyed every minute I spent working on the project. That opportunity clinched my decision to enroll in the criminology graduate program and started me down my career path as a researcher. Over the years, I've contributed to studies on a wide range of subjects and learned something new with each project. (To see a partial list of the kinds of projects I've worked on over the years, check out my portfolio.)
Unofficially, I've been editing and proofreading others' writing projects--usually my friends' essays--since I was in high school. I edited and proofread literature reviews and annotated bibliographies in some of my research assistant jobs. I spent a lot of time correcting the grammar and spelling in my students' term papers when I was a teaching assistant. When I was employed as a writing skills tutor for elementary and high school students, I gained yet more editing experience helping my pupils to write clearly and grammatically.
It wasn't until later that I combined my love of reading and writing with my research skills to offer a variety of editing services to authors, heart-centred business owners who want to make a positive difference in the world, and professional social change agents. I take a collaborative approach with writers to ensure that the end product is clear, grammatical, logically organized, and accurately captures an author's truth and authentic voice.
Background and credentials Looking back over my years of professional experience, I've noticed that while I've held a variety of positions, most of them have been closely tied to my skills with organizing and interpreting information, writing, communicating, explaining concepts and teaching others. Among other things, I have worked as:
an institutional research and planning analyst in the public post-secondary education system,
an independent research contractor and primary investigator for a funded, published study on the help seeking patterns of wife assault victims,
an information service provider and volunteer program coordinator for a women's resource drop-in centre,
a writing skills and reading comprehension tutor for elementary and high school students, and
a teaching assistant for various undergraduate criminology courses.
Over the years, my academic training, extensive professional experience, innate strengths and traits (empathy, intuition, perceptiveness, inclusiveness) have combined to make me especially adept at:
helping others identify the puzzle pieces and fitting them together to create a complete story or picture,
working with writers to identify important themes, symbols and relationships between ideas so they can strengthen the power and clarity of the message they want to share with their readers,
empathizing with and respectfully communicating and responding to the varied concerns of key individuals involved with a project,
conducting research with a humanist emphasis on inclusiveness, empowerment, and concern for how the process and recommendations affect the lives of a study's subjects,
integrating quantitative data analyses and explanatory text into engaging, compelling, reader-friendly reports and presentation formats, and
teaching individuals how to effectively and efficiently handle research and information gathering projects.
My passionis using my research, writing and editing skills to
help writers produce inspiring, engaging, and compelling narratives that are an authentic reflection of their unique voices and wisdom, and
work with social change agents, small business owners, and social entrepreneurs to identify their research needs and find the information that will empower them to make good decisions and clearly demonstrate their successes.
Work/life balance: how I recharge and stay sane I'm curious and an eternal student by nature, so there is a bit of overlap between my professional and leisure time activities. I am fascinated by the creative process and overcoming writer's block. It's also vitally important to me that we humans find ways to create a more socially just, environmentally sustainable and spiritually fulfilling presence on this planet. I genuinely enjoy researching and reading about these issues and then sharing what I learn about them on my blog, Sage Wit.
When I'm not writing, reading, researching or editing, I spend time with my cats, my beloved, my family and my friends (not necessarily in that order), go out for walks, take photos, take dance classes, cook (I'm especially partial to Indian cuisine and anything that includes chocolate in the list of ingredients), stay connected with my purpose through my What's Your Tree "grove", and volunteer my time and skills with organizations and projects such as Be the Change Earth Alliance and SPUD Patrol.
If you also have a passion for projects that create a positive difference in the world, perhaps I can help you empower the clarity of your message and strengthen your statements with facts.
