The Owasso Writing Center: better grades for college level classes
By Makenzy Holm
Photo of students working in the Writing Lab with Ms. Casteel taken by Makenzy Holm
Students oftentimes find writing boring, tedious and sometimes even intimidating, especially when writing a college level essay. As they approach their junior year, sophomores at Owasso High School are given the opportunity to take a college class through TCC (Tulsa Community College) to act as both high school and college credits.
When students start their classes in the fall they will find that a lot of the curriculum made by college professors involves writing. While they may feel that they are ready, the leap from high school level writing to college level writing can seem overwhelming. Thankfully, Owasso staff has realized how big the gap really is and now offers a new writing center being ran by Mr. DeBella on East campus, in room 17.
“[Students] can come here and have help from either myself or my student teacher Ms. Casteel,” says DeBella.
Students in need of writing assistance can schedule an appointment between 11:15-12:15 a.m. using one of the QR codes posted around campus. DeBella and Casteel are more than happy to help with rough drafts, discussions and even talking through writing prompts. The majority of students who need help are concurrently enrolled in college level classes.
“We just provide that resource for editing [and] discussion. Sometimes people come in with absolutely nothing and they just want to have a conversation with me, and if they’ve got a whole essay and they want a strict edit on it, that’s awesome too,” exclaimed DeBella.
When asked about what she gained from the writing center, junior Julia Trost explains how it was helpful to have more than one person looking at and editing her essays
“I feel like I’ve learned a lot, even though it’s not a class, like having them review my essay and giving me tricks and stuff that I didn’t even think about,” Trost shares.
No matter what a student needs when it comes to writing, DeBella and Casteel are there to aid and assist in the best way they can. If you are feeling like you need a little extra help in an essay or even a short story, don’t hesitate to set up an appointment at the Owasso High School Writing Center.