Writer, Copyeditor, Customer Service Team Lead, Writing Lab Tutor

Michael Anson Schroeder

773-***-**** ********************@*.************.*** St. Charles, IL 60174

Professional Profile

Versatile and adaptable professional with a MPhil in Irish Literature & Writing, MA in Social Service Administration, and BA In English Literature with a Theatre minor. Recent Northwestern University graduate (3.84/4 GPA) with a MFA in Prose and Poetry, June 11, 2023. Career background includes a Production Researcher role at E! Entertainment Television in Los Angeles, CA.

Talent for written and verbal communication, as well as editing, data collection, and research.

Unparalleled ability to manage time and assignments, often balancing both coursework and part-time jobs and achieving multiple degrees simultaneously.

Areas of Expertise

Academic Support Specialist-Teaching - Sales – Educational Coaching - Administrative Support – Writing – Editing-Teaching Assistant

Customer Service – Problem Solving – Analytic Skills – Detail-Oriented – Data Analysis – Communication Skills – MS Office

Merchandising – Manuscript Evaluation – Outreach – Archival Footage Research – Collaborative Teamwork

Academic Tutoring – Case Management – Documentation – Time Management

Education

Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing

Northwestern University (In Progress)

Select Coursework: Fiction Workshop; Seminar on Journal Publishing; Victorian Travel & Crime; Teaching Creative Writing; Inventing the American Novel; Renaissance Literature: Virtues and Vices; Imagining Chicago: Literature of the City; Basics of Screenwriting. Capstone Thesis: 150 Page Fully Realized, Polished, Edited Manuscript, Titled, At the Ha’Penny Bridge, Faculty Advisors Rebecca Makkai and Christine Sneed

MPhil in Irish Literature & Writing

Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland (2021)

Selected Coursework on Samuel Beckett, James Joyce, Jonathan Swift, WB Yeats, Time of the Troubles, Irish Drama, Big House Literature, Yearlong Irish Perspectives

Dissertation: Celtic Utopia: Lady Gregory’s Interlacement of History and Mythology

Master of Arts (MA) in Social Service Administration

University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

Select Coursework: Social Intervention; Spiritual Issues & Social Work Practice; Psychotherapy with Families; Psychodynamic Practice Methods; Clinical Treatment of Abusive Family Systems; Psychotherapy for Chronically Distressed Persons; Culture/Context/Early Childhood Development

Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English Literature; Theatre minor

St. John’s University, Collegeville, MN

Select Coursework: Introduction to Literature; Classical World Literature; Men’s Chorus; British Literature in Context; Shakespeare; Studies in Film; Documentary Biography; History of Film; American Literature in Context; British Literature in context; Theatre Production Lab; Advanced Writing; Post-Colonial Literature; Minority Literature. Graduated All-College Honors. Thesis Titled, The Light at the Top of the Stairs Is Broken

Additional Creative Writing Credentials

Story Board at Story Studio Chicago, 4043 N. Ravenswood #222, Chicago Il 60613 Course: Mrs. Turpin Reads the Stars, Taught by Margot Livesey (Online, August 20-25, Accepted)

Gotham Writers’ Workshop, 555 8th Avenue, New York, NY 10018

Fiction Writing Certificate—Selected Coursework: Fiction Writing I, Short Fiction Writing II, Novel Writing II—Critique, How to Get Published (June 12, 2023)

Story Studio Chicago, 4043 N. Ravenswood #222, Chicago, IL 60613

Masterclass, Nami Mun on Novel Openings (November 21, 2019)

Professional Experience

Northwestern University (OLLI-Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) – Evanston, IL 2021

Teaching Assistant

Full teaching responsibilities for a seven-week creative course covering plot, character, voice, setting, conflict, and memoir as fiction that I have designed for a group of older adults affiliated with Northwestern University.

Pier One Imports – Batavia, IL 2016 to 2017

Seasonal Sales Associate

Supported the ongoing sales success of the home décor retailer, interfacing with customers, answering questions, and resolving problems. Helped with merchandising and product displays, as well as processing transactions and ensuring efficiency to boost sales.

Sugar Grove Library – Sugar Grove, IL 2011 to 2012

Discussion Group Moderator / Volunteer Shelver

Utilized academic training to support a book-into-film discussion group with adults. Collaborated on assessing similarities and differences between books and films. Discussed memorable moments, assessed point of view, and looked at characterization, dialogue, setting, and narrative arcs.

Target – North Aurora, IL 2009 to 2011

Cashier

Communicated directly with customers during cash, credit, and check transactions to support retail sales. Leveraged problem solving skills to boost customer satisfaction and to align with Target’s brand standards for success.

Internships

NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill) 2002 to 2003

Social Work Intern

Analyzed trends and data to quantify the occurrence and recurrence of mental illness within families. Facilitated a drop-in group for those recently diagnosed with a mental illness. Designed a brochure on the rights and entitlements of those impacted by mental illness to services.

Chicago House & Social Service Agency – Chicago, IL 2000 to 2001

Social Work Intern

Performed ongoing health outreach and education, in addition to counseling, cash management, and resource support for those impacted by HIV/AIDS. Discussed case work on a weekly basis with Director Judy Perloff. Utilized both psychodynamic and cognitive behavioral models, expanding training from the University of Chicago.

Additional Professional Experience

Book Discussion Facilitator—WebEx and Zoom (Current)

Organize and lead book discussion of the Great Books/MLA Modern Library Association as well as the National Book Award and Pulitzer-Prize winning books on a weekly basis as we examine James Joyce’s Dubliners and Ulysses, The Plague by Albert Camus, Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner, and The Green Road by Anne Enright, among others. Past guest authors appearing at my book club include Rebecca Makkai and Edward Kelsey Moore.

Bookseller, Barnes & Noble

Leveraged training in English literature to recommend books to customers. Utilized computer to find books, DVDs, and CDs. Processed cash, credit, and check transactions.

Production Assistant/Production Researcher, E! Entertainment Television

Worked on a high-concept biography show (Mysteries & Scandals), helping with research, archival footage, securing rights, and assisting with editing and cropping.

Writing Lab Tutor, College of St. Benedict

Taught writing by using the Socratic method to ask students leading questions to improve their writing. Worked closely with students on editing and writing to help them develop confidence.

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