By Percy Mercer and Hosanna Folmsbee – Writing Specialists

Workshops, often led by Writing Specialists, are a hands-on experience designed to closely assist a large group of students in a way that can be uniquely tailored to the topic they’re focusing on. Whether it’s informing students about different citation methods for research papers, assisting in group project peer-reviews, or facilitating a study-hall for students across multiple areas of study, Writing Center Specialists can do it all – except for math. We’re not great at math.

In the spring 2023 semester alone, the Writing Center has conducted more than 90 workshops while working with more than 600 students in English, Literature, Speech, Nursing, and Dentistry classes. Additionally, Writing Specialists cultivate connections with programs like Fresh Start, Quanta, and athletic groups to support students of all backgrounds and experience.

In total, those workshops have reached more than 600 individual students.

Ashley Davis, Educational Service Coordinator for the Fresh Start program at Daytona State College, said the Writing Center’s partnership has been an essential part of paving the way for students to go to college. Fresh Start, a transition-to-college program that is directed toward people looking to create new opportunities for themselves, has worked with the Writing Center to help its students prepare for the academic road ahead of them.

"The Writing Center helps the students feel more confident in their writing abilities,” she said. “The Writing Specialists make the students feel empowered, and that gives them hope and ensures them that they can write anything, from a scholarship essay to a graduation speech.”

Students and Faculty alike benefit from the community-style learning that workshops can bring to the classroom. By creating space for them to experience the nitty-gritty process of writing and rewriting, workshopping with a Writing Specialist cultivates a safe and supportive environment to make mistakes, as well as see growth and improvement in an accelerated amount of time. The different types of workshops are almost endless, and they are both a fun and productive way for students to engage with their content and learning material.

One of the exciting aspects of workshopping is the unexpected and unique dynamics that each classroom brings.

While the content we may be bringing with us stays the same, the different personalities of each student community foster a one-of-a-kind experience each time we walk into the room. The Writing Specialist’s ability to go into the classroom and adapt to the student’s needs creates ample opportunities to gain trust and build meaningful relationships with them.

“[The students] know that they have a resource and a person that they can count on to help them become and stay successful,” Davis said. “Whatever [the students] have to offer, Percy works with the Fresh Start class. They do an amazing job in leading our students to become successful writers.”