Writing and Reading Staff - Trinity River

Decha is an advocate for the transformative power of the written word. As a first-generation college student who took an extended break from her education after graduating high school, she can attest to the importance of education in achieving your goals. After graduating from TCC, she earned a B.S. in Sociology with a minor in Creative Writing from TCU. Currently, she is pursuing a master’s degree in Professional Creative Nonfiction Writing at the University of Denver. When Decha is not inspiring people through writing, you will find her singing and dancing with her son, reading, or baking plant-based goodies.

As a kid, I was constantly told that I talked too much. I don’t remember if I took it personally; after all, I was so used to hearing it that I just took it in stride. Fast forward through college and into adulthood, I have learned that talking, speaking, and writing can become the best secret weapons your career can have. I am a proud United States Army and Air Force Reserves veteran. As an international flight attendant, I have visited 16 countries and every state except Alaska. I also earned recognition as one of the top sales consultants in the United States, managed over 1400 employees as director of corporate development, co-hosted an award-winning international training program for television, and collaborated with top instructional designers as a content writer creating technical manuals and hundreds of professional development programs, workshops, and seminars for diverse audiences. As managing associate of the Trinity River Reading & Writing Center, my reward is working with students and contributing to their progress. So, if you want to develop or sharpen your writing or speaking skills, please visit me. You never know where these secret weapons can take you.

Hello! My name is Jessica, I'm a student tutor at the Trinity River Reading and Writing Center. I enjoy writing and editing all subjects, which is part of what makes me a good tutor. Helping other students learn to like writing is what I enjoy most. My hobbies include reading, listening to music, and playing video games.

In the rural community where I grew up, there were four paths a student could take through high school. Each one anticipated what you should expect to do after graduation. I promised my family I would attend college, so I chose the path that got me out of high school the quickest. During my junior year, the high school guidance counselor told me I “was not the college type” and should consider other options. Challenge Accepted! It took time, patience, and a lot of tutoring assistance, but I sent my high school counselor an invitation to my graduation from Texas Wesleyan University. I want everyone to feel the satisfaction of completing goals they set for themselves and gaining knowledge that will assist with their future success in life. I can’t help you achieve all your goals, but I can help you through Composition I and II.

I enjoy helping students improve any draft and tackle any citation. I spend most days as a practicing attorney representing victims of family violence. I received my B.A. from Texas A&M University and my J.D. from The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law. When not lawyering or tutoring, I am most likely at home drinking coffee with my wife and chasing around our kids and dogs.

I find working with students enjoyable and challenging. I am a graduate of UTA, UT Southwestern Medical Center, and UT Austin. I offer expertise in American history and literature, healthcare communications, and art history. I thoroughly enjoy working with students and watching them grow and become better writers. I hope you’ll visit the Writing Center soon to check out the resources available for school, professional, and personal projects. See you soon.

My name is Zion. I’m a student worker in the Trinity River Reading and Writing Center. I am currently working towards my associate degree in visual arts. I love tutoring for most writing classes, including INRW, English, and History and Art. I greatly enjoy meeting new students and encountering all sorts of different people! I also love helping students learn how to express their thoughts and ideas through their writing.

My bachelor’s degree is in video/film, and my master’s degree is in English literature, early nineteenth and twentieth centuries. I’ve been a writer most of my life: a screenwriter, copywriter, and English professor. Plus, I have more than twenty years of experience in video/film production, again, as a writer, videographer, cameraman, and producer. Speaking about my brainstorming and copywriting abilities, one supervisor called me “wildly creative.” She was off by a mile. I taught hundreds of hours of credit classes, including Composition 1 and 2, World Literature, ESL, Film Adaptations, and writing for advertising. My parents were both teachers; mom was an English teacher, in a middle school no less, for 35 years. She once admitted, "It's like containing an oil slick. "In 2020, I published LOVE’S LAST CHANCE, a historical romance written by my late mother, an English teacher, almost four decades ago.

My name is Maureen Trussell. I have a master’s degree in philosophy from the University of North Texas (UNT) and am working towards my PhD. I began my tenure in the Writing Center in 2018 and developed a deep appreciation and love for working with students. I also teach Technical Communication at UNT. I assist students who need help with resumes, cover letters, PowerPoint presentations, speeches, scholarships, and college application essays. I tutor various English, Philosophy, History, Government, and Art subjects. In my spare time, I like to read books, hang out with my friends and family, and cuddle with my two adorable cats.

My greatest joy in life is writing. I live by the words of the late great Mark Twain, who said, “To get the full value of joy, you must divide it with others.” I have derived “much joy from my time spent with students at TCC.” I have hundreds of publications from years of work as a columnist, art critic, and investigative journalist at newspapers like The Paris News and Fort Worth Weekly. I earned my master’s degree in English Composition and Rhetoric from Texas A&M-Commerce where I also taught English and Public Speaking. When not working, l love reading, playing guitar, and spending time with my daughter.

I enjoy working with students by helping them expand their knowledge base and broaden their writing horizons. My goal is to assist them with developing and honing their communication skills, which they can use as foundational tools towards future success. Working at TCC is a way to give back following a successful leadership career as a manager with the Federal Government. I currently serve as a Court Appointed Special Advocate in Tarrant County, where I stand up on behalf of abused and neglected children. I earned a B.S. in Business Administration from California State University, Dominguez Hills, and an MBA from La Verne University. I enjoy working out, traveling, reading, movies, attending plays, visiting museums, and the arts.