Nels Challinor, Writing Studio Director
Nels Challinor is a writer, educator, and avid fly fisherman. His writing combines a literary style with genre tropes and techniques. Nels is the host of Written and Read, a bimonthly podcast showcasing original prose and poetry. His teaching and tutoring philosophy prioritizes students' lived experiences as the foundation of their learning and defines writing as a communicative process that expands through practice and reflection. He has been tutoring at MICA since the Fall of 2024 and is proud to serve as the Director of the Writing Studio. He holds an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Westminster and a BA in Sociology from Boston University.
DJ Hills
DJ Hills (they/them) is a writer for the page, stage, and screen. DJ has over five years of experience in writing tutoring, including creative and academic writing, personal statements, and resume and cover letter review. Their writing includes the short film Love Poem, the play TRUNK BRIEF JOCK THONG (shortlist, Yale Drama Series), and the poetry chapbook, Leaving Earth (Split Rock Press). BA: English and Theatre, Goucher College. MFA: Playwriting, UCLA.
Isabel Goldstein (MICA Alumnus & ESL Tutoring Certified)
Isabel (Isa) Gold is a painter, professor, and deep sea enthusiast. She holds an MFA from MICA's Mount Royal School of Art, and a BS in Studio Art with a minor in International Relations from Skidmore College. Isa began her journey as a writing tutor in 2014 when she joined Skidmore's writing center. She's found joy providing writing assistance to students at various universities and grade levels ever since. Isa is a certified ESL Tutor with a background in Spanish and Italian. She's passionate about creative writing and scholarly research, and draws inspiration from illustrated children's books, biology, and psychology to inform her surreal paintings and drawings. As a tutor, Isa encourages dialogue and prioritizes deep listening. She knows it can be intimidating to ask for help and treats each session as a learning opportunity for both herself and the student.
John Oldenborg
John has taught and tutored at the university level for six years, leading classes on rhetoric and composition as well as Creative Writing (Poetry, Fiction, and Non-Fiction).
He specializes in post-1900 poetry with emphasis on surrealism. He is also interested in the intersection of 20th century literature with visual art and music.
M.F.A Creative Writing: University of Nevada; Las Vegas
M.A. + B.A. Literature: Florida State University
Jess Bither (MICA Alumnus)
Jess has an MA in Critical Studies. After graduating, she taught film, critical theory, and writing workshop classes at MICA. In 2024 she joined the Writing Studio team. Jess is eager to help students with their academic and creative writing projects including but not limited to art history essays, poetry, screenwriting, and artist statements. In her spare time she writes about B-movies and the local art scene for Baltimore-based zines.
Shane Moritz
When Shane Moritz is not tutoring for MICA’s writing studio, he is either teaching English Composition at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County or birdwatching in Greenmount Cemetery, or eating pancakes internationally.
Ashley Guchhait (MICA Alumnus & ESL Tutoring Certified)
Ashley Guchhait '17 is a multi-disciplinary artist and alumnus of the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), where she obtained her Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Interactive Arts, concentrating in Game Arts, and Humanistic Studies, where she focused on Creative Writing and Art History. At the end of her undergraduate tenure, she and fellow tutor, Kyrstin Cooksey, launched their own business after successfully being funded through MICA's UP/Start Venture Competition in 2018. Their business, Boba Studios, is a Baltimore-based, women-owned indie video game studio and creator of the 2.5D, puzzle-adventure game, Squirrely Roo Rabbit. Ashley remains active on campus, giving back through mentoring new creative ventures through the Ratcliffe Center for Creative Entrepreneurship (RCCE), founding the MICA Weekend Alumni Arcade, and tutoring in the Writing Studio.
In addition to a love for writing scripts for visual and interactive media, Ashley is passionate about professional and business development, which she fostered while working as a student and recent graduate in MICA’s Joseph Meyerhoff Center for Career Development. She is experienced working with English Language Learners (ELLs) from her personal experience and tutoring throughout her school years, and is certified as a professional ESL tutor by Howard County Community College. To help prepare international students for their college experience in the United States, Ashley formerly assisted with MICA’s International Student Cultural Orientation Program (ISCOP).
Ashley has a pup named Toby, who often joins her for her in-person tutoring hours on Mondays. If you catch her on Zoom, you might not be able to tell the difference between Toby and the mountain of plushies they’ve built together. Toby loves getting pets, long walks, playing with squeaky toys, and wearing bow ties. If you see him around, ask to say hello!
Kyrstin Cooksey (MICA Alumnus & ESL Tutoring Certified)
Kyrstin Cooksey is a 2018 MICA alumnus with a BFA in Animation and a concentration in Game Arts. During her time at MICA, Kyrstin launched her business, Boba Studios, a women-owned and indie game developer studio based in Baltimore, Maryland. In the Writing Studio, Kyrstin specializes in writing for art mediums like animation, games, and comics and holds an ESL certification from Howard County Community College to tutor English professionally.
Outside of the Writing Studio and her business, Kyrstin can be found doing absolutely random things like helping other offices on campus, making dumplings from scratch, and talking to the local wildlife (the neighborhood dogs). Kyrstin enjoys multi-faceted projects and holistic design, so don't be afraid to bring in your most complex projects to tackle together!
Susannah Mohan