Ms. Jennifer Eckert

From a young age, Ms. Eckert knew that her love of literature, writing, and working with youth would lead to a teaching career. Originally from San Jose, Ms. Eckert graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a Bachelor of Arts in English Language Literature and a Minor in Education. While earning her degree, she reveled in reading a diverse array of literary genres—from detective fiction to modern American classics, the British canon to post-colonial novels. Along with honing her skills of close reading and literary analysis, Ms. Eckert enjoyed investigating other forms of composition, taking creative writing courses to explore composing fiction and poetry, and enjoying her education courses that required interviews and research. After completing her degree, Ms. Eckert returned to San Jose and focused on working with youth, leading an afterschool program at the middle school level and gaining teaching experience as a substitute teacher for kindergarten through eighth grade at a prominent private school.

Ms. Eckert gained invaluable experiences working in the private school sector. She treasured watching the growth of her students as they developed into critical thinkers, responsible citizens, and well-rounded students, who eventually attended many prestigious high schools in the local area. Wishing to further explore pedagogies that aid student writing, Ms. Eckert decided to further her own schooling. Ms. Eckert is in the final stages of completing her graduate work with a Masters in Teaching Composition from San Francisco State University. She has gained instrumental knowledge in writing instruction by working with students from all grade levels, most recently, at the collegiate level.

Ms. Eckert is looking forward to sharing her love for literature and writing to the students at Mill Creek Academy. Her detailed paper commentary will expose students to their writing weaknesses while empowering them to improve their literary skills through the revision process.

During Ms. Eckert’s rare moments of free time, she enjoys living in the vibrant city of San Francisco while taking advantage of hikes in the Presidio, exploring the city with a book in her bag, and attending various cultural, artistic, and musical events.