Testimonials

managed over 100 student employees as editors over 4 years

“You helped me expand my vision and framework of thinking to include multiple, pluriversal voices that is at the core of doing decolonial working- rejecting homogeneity and being committed to pluriversality. Thank you for embodying this commitment. Thank you for your patience and trust. I believe that my undergraduate experience wouldn’t have been the same without my time at the UWC. The UWC has fundamentally and deeply impacted how I make meaning of the world and how I value human relationships.”

“Kelin is the definition of a supportive and caring Assistant Director of our UWC community. For instance, in one of her weekly emails sent in the Fall 2021 semester, Kelin wrote: “It’s the final week of classes and I know we’re all likely feeling the pressure. It’s both intense and stressful but also exhilarating, I think, because we’re so close to finishing. We made it! We did it!” Additionally, when discussing how hard this semester has been, she emphasized: “The fact that you all show up to school to do whatever your best may look like in that moment and to this job to also do your best with care and attention is remarkable. I hope you all are able to have restful and rejuvenating winter breaks!” Kelin cares about us not only as students and UWC workers but also as people. She is an incredible Assistant Director.”

“My time at the University Writing Center was made immeasurably better by my time spent with Kelin. She was constantly supportive, extremely communicative, and treated me like a university colleague and an academic rather than a simple student employee. Kelin is constantly on top of everything happening in the Center and around the campus, keeping everyone informed and ready for whatever comes next. She is able to plan three steps ahead at almost all times, in all circumstances. Her previous experience outside of academia allows her to bring a perspective to her work that not many in our belovedly bureaucratic can muster, which enables her to relate better than most, while at the same time contributing to an incredible work ethic and sense of what’s next that leaves anyone feeling secure in their direction after speaking to her. Her work as Assistant Director is unparalleled. She is undoubtedly one of the finest administrators I have ever worked for and will ever work for, and someone I see as a role model.”

“When I first met Kelin, I thought “no one is actually this kind all the time.” But Kelin has proved me wrong; in the four years I’ve known her, every interaction we’ve had has been filled with kindness, patience, and respect. She consistently positions herself as someone who the staff can turn to in times of distress, to talk through problems (both directly work-related and not), and to resolve conflicts. For Kelin, caring about people’s emotions isn’t just a surface-level feel-good endeavor– it’s hard work, and work that she does consistently. She encourages the staff to speak openly with one another even when it’s difficult or uncomfortable, modeling for us how to support one another and keep the community a thriving safe space. She finds time to check in, even in the Writing Center’s busiest weeks. Kindness for her is not the same thing is niceness. Kindness is an intentional practice that shapes every aspect of how she interacts with the world. Kindness is an absolute commitment to social justice, and she does everything she can to make sure that our policies and our practice create space for everyone to thrive.”

“Her ability to support employees professionally but also genuinely listen and empathize with them is crucial to the sustained growth of the Writing Center as a communal space. On a personal level, beyond the scholarship and professional guidance and mentorship, Kelin was always the first person to reach out, to check in. Kelin exhibited leadership and support in many ways, and during my time at IUPUI her empathy and compassion were integral to the construction of the UWC as a place of community. She actively embodied her own pedagogy and understanding of writing as a communal and collaborative process by mirroring that in the way she built community within the Center itself.”