Hi, there! I'm Emily Morris, associate professor of English and co-lead mentor of ACES. My motivation for mentoring is rooted in our shared humanity and an understanding that none of us was ever meant to do any of this alone. Without guidance and support from faculty and advisors when I was a college student, my failures would not have led to my success, and I would most certainly not be here today.

I know first-hand how important – and how difficult – it is to get help when you need it. My hope is to make that experience easier, meeting you where you are to foster a mentorship tailored specifically to your academic journey in a judgment-free, safe space. All are welcome. I'm so glad you're here.

Favorites

• Movies – "Everything Everywhere All at Once"
• Books – "The Crying of Lot 49" by Thomas Pynchon, "White Teeth" by Zadie Smith and "Beloved" by Toni Morrison
• Hobbies – I've started singing in a choir again after taking a 17-year hiatus, and it has reminded me how important nurturing our passions is. Play is as important to life as work is, despite what society seems to say.

Hi, all! I'm Eileen Sweeney, one of the ACES co-leads and a professor of English. I've sort of failed-up, having not done well in my first attempt at college. I worked for a large bank after dropping out, then returned to school, finishing my degrees in record time because I found the programs and colleges that fit my needs and personality.

Working in ACES allows me to share my experiences with students, help others in the same place I was and build relationships with students to help them, outside of the structure of the classroom.

Favorites

• TV – "The Office" (I did my graduate work in Scranton, Pa.; ask me anything)
• Books – Everything by Barbara Kingsolver; most by Stephen King, especially "Under the Dome" and "11/22/63; and John Steinbeck, especially, "East of Eden" and "The Grapes of Wrath"
• Hobbies – I crochet to relax, walk my dogs far too much and enjoy working in the yard.

Hi! I am Kelli Keltz, associate head of the English Department and leadership liaison for the ACES program. Since its inception, ACES has been a true labor of love for me. I wanted to create a support service that was different, one that offered services similar to those provided by our Tutoring and Learning Centers but one that prioritized relationship-building and outreach, adding a more personalized and holistic approach to writing support.

The members of our ACES team are writing experts, but they are also cheerleaders who approach their roles with a "can-do" attitude and sincere belief that every student has the potential to succeed! I hope you will read their bios, and I also hope you will contact us. We would love for ACES to be a part of your academic journey!

Hey, everyone! I'm Tori Halbert, an English instructor and ACES mentor. I genuinely love getting to connect with students. Chatting with them about their interests, helping them overcome hurdles and celebrating wins with them are some of the best perks of my job. On top of this, my background in the service-end of higher education helps me understand how the choices students make in the classroom affect and are influenced by lots of external factors. Being a mentor lets me be a person students can vent to without judgment, brainstorm with and turn to when life gets hard. I can't wait to be that person for you!

Favorites

• TV shows – "Abbott Elementary," "The Haunting of Hill House," "The Last of Us"
• Books – "Babel" by R.F. Kuang, "The Broken Earth Trilogy" by N.K. Jemisin, "Piranesi" by Susanna Clarke, and "Hamnet" by Maggie O'Farrell
• Hobbies – I'm obviously a big reader (hence the two English degrees), but in the spring and summer, I spend a lot of time tending to my vegetable garden. I also love to bake, especially fresh bread, year-round.

My name is Anna Kirby. I am an English instructor and ACES mentor. When I heard about the ACES mentoring program, I immediately wanted to become involved. I enjoy mentoring because I can be someone's go-to person who supports them, encourages them, guides them and pushes them to embrace their character and drive.

Believe it or not, I failed more than one class in college, and I know quite a few other professionals who did as well. These failures were uncomfortable at the time, but they did not hold me back in the pursuit of my career – and, importantly, they weren't reflections of my abilities or potential. I believe the same is true of the students I mentor, and I look forward to helping you embrace this truth about yourself.

Favorites

• Movies/TV shows – "Best in Show," "The Silence of the Lambs," "Veep" and "Silicon Valley"
• Books/authors – The complete "Dune" series by Frank Herbert and anything by Cormac McCarthy
• Hobbies/interests – Art (I make collages, and I have been fortunate enough to have many displayed in art galleries.), nature and laughter

My story is that I came into college, in many ways, woefully unprepared. I was a pretty big slacker with a pretty big ego. Two years into my college career, I was scraping by, barely passing classes, occasionally retaking them and looking for a way to turn my college career around. Thankfully, I had college professors at different points of my college career that took the needed time to work with me one-on-one. Some of them gave me straight-talk advice about how to navigate college. Some of them worked with me one-on-one when I found myself struggling with the material. They all did it with a mix of humor and empathy. In many ways, I owe my success in college to people that were willing to just simply be there when I had a question or two.

This is my guiding principle as mentor for ACES. Ultimately, I find being a mentor is a rewarding experience for both the student and the mentor. I get to be the kind of professor that I loved as a student. And students get to experience the kind of guidance that I received.

On a personal level, I'm a pretty big nerd. I love to read. I love watching movies and bingeing TV. I also spend a great of time on the tennis courts working on my groundstrokes.

For ACES, I'm known as the afternoon or evening guy in this program. If your need is mostly meetings in the afternoon or early evening, call on me.

Hi! My name is Susie Potter, and I'm an assistant professor of English and a devoted ACES mentor. I love mentoring because I have had some wonderful mentors in my life! As a survivor of childhood homelessness, I struggled greatly in high school and arrived at college vastly underprepared. After my very first college class, I cried and asked myself, "What was I thinking? There's no way I can do this." I wanted to go home right then and there, but I didn't. Instead, I learned to believe in myself and seek help from my professors.

Today, I have two graduate degrees and find great joy in supporting students in similar situations. I believe every student is capable and that we all have unique skills that can benefit us in school and in life, and I invest time in getting to know each student on a personal level. My goal is to help students see their value, recognize their strengths and achieve their own personal definitions of success. I believe in you!

Favorites

• Movies – "Clueless," "Jawbreaker" and "Drop Dead Gorgeous"
• Books – "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger, "On the Road" by Jack Kerouac and the entire "Baby-Sitters Club" series
• Hobbies – I enjoy creative writing, running, competitive figure skating and ballet.