Interview with Patrese Nesbitt, Walden DrPH student and 2019/2020 Writing Center Intern

In 2019, Patrese began a 9-month internship with the Writing Center, during which she learned about writing center pedagogy, giving writing feedback to students through our paper review appointments, and attending the International Writing Centers Association conference in Columbus, OH. We are grateful Patrese was interested in the internship, as she is also working full time as a faculty member and pursuing her Doctor of Public Health from Walden. She is also now a published author on the Writing Center blog with her blog posts “The Art of Storytelling: Mastering Paraphrasing” and “How to Manage Procrastination and Brain Fog,” where Patrese brings her unique perspective as student, faculty member, and writing center intern to give students writing advice.

Join us in learning a bit about Patrese, how she manages so many responsibilities in her life, and her tips for other Walden student writers.

Writing Center: What are you studying at Walden? 

Patrese: Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)

Writing Center: You are also a faculty member at your institution. What do you teach? 

Patrese: I am an Assistant Professor and I teach Health and Physical Education at Kentucky State University in Frankfort, Kentucky. 

Writing Center: How do you spend your free time? 

Patrese: I spend my free time reading, working out, traveling with family and friends, watching make-up and hair tutorials, or studying about mindfulness and health. 

Writing Center: You have a lot going on: How do you keep track of everything or keep yourself organized? How do you make time for it all? 

Patrese: I have and stick to a “to-do” list! I have a “to-do” list at home which is a dry erase board, updated daily. My “to-do” list is just a notebook at work. As you can imagine, I’ve gone through a lot of notebooks!

Writing Center: What is your approach or goal to one-on-one paper reviews and when giving students writing feedback? 

Patrese: I want to make sure the student knows that I am aware of their own personal goals of their paper review appointment. I do so by stating their goals at the start of their paper review appointment. I may also state their personal goals throughout the paper; sometimes I may ask “what do you think?” to the student to show that I am engaged but I am open to their interpretation and suggestions as well. It is a learning experience for the both of us!

Writing Center: Why or in what ways do you think students can benefit from a one-on-one paper review appointment? 

Patrese: One-on-one paper reviews are an exceptional way to have an individualized review based on your goals, tasks, and abilities. I’ve benefited from a one-on-one appointment at the very beginning of the DrPH program, and it was superior! While I had the opportunity to attend writing centers at my prior institutions, one-on-one paper reviews, in an asynchronous format, feels as if the writing instructor has time to review my personal information without making me feel embarrassed!

Writing Center: What have you benefited the most from or learned the most about during your Internship with the Writing Center? 

Patrese: I increased my knowledge base on the number of tools the Writing Center has towards improving writing. The increased knowledge provided from the internship will help with the success of my dissertation. 

Writing Center: What’s one thing you’ll take away from the Internship and use in your writing at Walden or your teaching at your institution? 

Patrese: Appointments! More students should take advantage of making appointments with the Writing Center to achieve their goals as well as staying on task in their course. I will actually make more appointments! So, Beth, Amy, and Max will certainly see more of me! 

Writing Center: What is the most helpful advice you’ve received about writing? 

Patrese: I find myself typing how I talk, which is ok, but I firmly believe in the process of proofreading/self-editing. You learn so much about your writing style and it helps to ensure you are on task. One more note: follow the MEAL Plan for your writing as if your life depended on it!

Writing Center: Could you talk about a particular writing challenge you faced and how you overcame that challenge?

Patrese: I procrastinate! I prepared a blog about procrastination and it is something I still struggle with as a doctoral student. As one who has struggled with anxiety, I’ve used procrastination to cope with anxiety due to fearing (or overthinking) that what I am writing about is wrong, or I am off topic, and the worst can happen as a result of poor writing. Having a “to-do” is list extremely helpful and has helped me to overcome that challenge. I can always tell when I operate “away” from my “to-do” list. I am not as focused, and distractions are everywhere. 

Writing Center: What’s one writing accessory you can’t live without—or something you couldn’t write without?

Patrese: A college ruled, $0.69 notebook! I carry at least one everywhere!! Especially now as I am getting closer to writing my dissertation!

Writing Center: Describe your approach to writing in three words:

Patrese: Prepare, plan, pray. 

Prepare: Get all the tools that are needed; read the material that helps to reference what you are writing, use a notepad to mind-map or outline what your paper will state, and find a comfy sitting area to write your paper.

Plan: Back to the “to-do” list! Break apart difficult tasks or break apart tasks that may be big (or time consuming) and may lead to overthinking and anxiety.

Pray: or be mindful in what you are getting ready to do. Mindfulness to me means being “in the moment”. Praying helps me to get in the moment and put all my focus on the task from start, through the process, and to completion.

The Walden University Writing Center provides a broad range of writing instruction and editing services for students, including writing assistance for undergraduates, graduate students, and doctoral capstone writers. 

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