Meet TWK Tutor: Madeline Hertz
- Paul Vanden Broeck
- Mar 13
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 14
-
My Degrees & Education
B.A. in Radio/Television/Film with a minor in Psychology from Northwestern University
M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University
My Subject Expertise
English Language Arts and Writing
AP Psychology
Study Skills and Organization
"I used to work at Disney World as a Jungle Cruise Skipper."
What writing projects are you working on?
I am currently working on my first novel which I began writing as my M.F.A. thesis. Since graduating, I have continued to edit my manuscript and hope to publish the book as my debut novel. It is a young adult fantasy novel inspired by Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Hunger Games
What's your approach to helping a struggling writer find their way to clear expression?
One of the first things you learn in any writing class is to not be afraid of writing a terrible first draft. It is called a "rough" draft for a reason. This is a lesson I try to pass on to the students I tutor. Instead of trying to find the perfect words right away, write something - anything - down, even if it's terrible. It is much easier to edit and refine words that already exist than to produce perfection out of nothing
What do you do in your free time?
Outside of tutoring I work at Cleveland Cavaliers, Browns and Monsters games as a part of the video production crew. And if I am not working one of those games, I'm either out rock climbing or watching Netflix at home with my cat.
What achievements are you most proud of?
I wrote, directed, and edited a short film for my senior thesis project for my undergraduate degree at Northwestern University. Despite a minuscule budget and countless production obstacles, my crew and I made the impossible happen and the film turned out even better than I had hoped. The film was later accepted into multiple film festivals throughout the country.
What were your favorite books from high school English class?
I had some truly fantastic English teachers at Shaker Heights High School and enjoyed a lot of the books they assigned. Some of my favorites were A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, Night by Elie Wiesel, and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Interested in working with Madeline and rest of The Whole Kid team? Contact us to learn how we can help your student reach their full potential!
