Cynthia is a former media executive based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her lengthy career included a post at Home Sports Entertainment in Dallas, where she earned over 25 regional and national marketing awards, and VP Marketing and Sales at E! Entertainment Television in Los Angeles. Subsequently, she turned toward a writing career—her essays and stories have appeared in The New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, 805 Living (where she served as contributing editor for six years), Today in PT, Ursa Minor, New Flash Fiction Review, Fractured Lit, Chestnut Review, and elsewhere. Often called “Word Nerd” (a banner she wears proudly) by her twin teenage sons, Cynthia enjoys helping students think critically and express their ideas confidently in writing. She believes everyone has their own unique voice and a variety of compelling stories to share. It brings her great joy to work one-on-one with young adults and root for their success. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Fiction from Pacific University and two degrees from Southern Methodist University—a Bachelor of Arts in History and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Journalism.