Small Strokes Fell Big Oaks

EDUCATION

• Master of Arts in English Studies – May 2010
• Bachelor of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Concentration and an Illinois Initial Certificate in English/Language Arts, High School with a Middle School endorsement – May 2006

WRITING EXPERIENCE

Freelance Copywriting

• Ethos Content – 2011-2012
• Textbroker International – 2010-2011

Blogging

• Care2 Causes Blogger – 2012-Present
• SmallStrokesBigOaks.com Owner and Writer – 2009-Present
• Gender Across Borders Senior Editor – 2011-2012; Staff Writer – January 2012-April 2012
• Equality101.net Founder and Contributor – 2010-2011
• Witur.com Blogger – 2009-2010

Selected Published Work (View the entire list here.)

• Say no to armed guards in schools – The Guardian – February 20, 2013
• Suburban Teen Girls Draft a List of their Favorite Feminist Celebrities – Bitch Magazine Blog – February 1, 2013
• Why My Students Don’t Need Armed Guards – In These Times – January 31, 2013
• ‘Rape Culture’ Lives Close to Home – Teaching Tolerance – January 24, 2013
• Celebrate Reading Freedom with a Banned Book – Teaching Tolerance – October 4, 2012
• Keeping Students Strong While We Stop Bullies – Teaching Tolerance – September 21, 2012
• It’s Not Can We Have it All, It’s Should We? – BlogHer – August 23, 2012
• After Tragedy, Rally Students for Change – Teaching Tolerance – August 9, 2012
• Babies Ruin Lives – The Good Women Project – June 14, 2012
• Julia Alvarez’s Loving Tribute to Haiti – Ms. Magazine Blog – May 14, 2012
• Women – And Men – Aren’t “Born” Teachers – Ms. Magazine Blog – December 23, 2011
• Feminist-Friendly Marriages on Television… Or Not - Feministe – December 6, 2011
• Personal Connections Empower Students – Teaching Tolerance – December 1, 2011
• 7 Billion Means You Can Stop Asking When I’m Having A Baby – The Huffington Post – November 3, 2011
• Warning: Models in This Image May Not Be as Thin as They Appear – Ms. Magazine Blog – July 5, 2011

Featured Blogger and Featured Posts

• Featured post on Jezebel, February 3, 2013
• Featured Writer on The OpEd Project’s Byline Blog, July 2012
• Featured Blogger on BlogHer’s Love & Sex page, July 2011
• Featured post on BlogHer’s Love & Sex page, July 2011
• Featured post on Blogher’s homepage, November 2010

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

• Secondary English, Chicago, IL Area (Suburbs) – 2008-Present
• Secondary English, Central Illinois – 2006-2008

SCHOOL LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE

• Subject Area Committee Member – 2010-2012
• Content Area Leadership – 2010-2011
• Academy Team Leader – 2009-2011

EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

• Fearless Females Sponsor – 2011-Present
• Drama Club and Contest Play Sponsor – 2007-2008, 2010-2012
• Gay-Straight Alliance Sponsor – 2009-2010
• “Impressions” Literary Magazine Sponsor – 2006-2008

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

• Connections Project – March 2011, Illinois State University – Delivered a presentation about Literacy and Blogging in the Classroom
• Contemporary Women’s Writing Network – July 2010, San Diego State University – Delivered a presentation about Literacy in the Feminist Blogging Community
• Engage – June 2010, Chicago, IL Suburbs – Delivered a presentation about Literacy and Blogging in the Classroom

ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE

• Tongue & Ink Undergraduate Creative Writing Conference – Springs 2005-06
• Research Assistant, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL – Summers 2003-05

VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES

• The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer – 2004-2011

UNDERGRADUATE HONORS AND LEADERSHIP INVOLVEMENT

• Tributaries Creative Arts Magazine, Assistant Co-Editor/Co-Editor, 2004-05/2005-06
• Writing Circle, Founder and Leader, 2003-05
• Flute Choir, Founder and Leader, 2002-05
• Sigma Tau Delta English Honors Society, Treasurer, Fall 2004
• Kappa Delta Pi Education Honors Society
• Alpha Lambda Delta Freshman Honors Society
• Published in three Tributaries Magazines
• Dean’s List – all semesters

For a complete CV and a list of references, e-mail ashleylaurensamsa@gmail.com.