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Alicia Garcia

Experienced writers such as Sara Fuentes, graduate, take time out of their day to help students who need advice on how to write better essays or prompts. “It’s a great experience to help students out because I knew I needed help when I was a student,” Fuentes said. “I enjoy giving advice on how to write better because writing is really important for all subjects not just English.”

As of the 2016-2017 school year, Downey High School’s Writing Center is open to freshmen, sophomores, and now juniors. Previously, only freshmen and sophomores could access the center, but the resource is now available to the junior class as well.

The Writing Center’s goal is to introduce students to regularly seek peer revision in their work, and in doing so, expand their perception of literature and syntax. Most teachers make it mandatory for students to visit the center at least once a quarter, but by no means are students restricted to only one visit.

Juniors are now able to continue this track and thus prepare themselves for written assignments in their senior year. According to Kelly Crespo, the Writing Center’s adviser, introducing the eleventh grade to the picture was always a part of the plan.

“We stayed for about two years with just tenth grade and ninth grade with the ambition to eventually expand to eleventh grade,” Crespo said. “We didn’t want to do it too fast.”

As well as expanding to tutees, the Writing Center added tutors so that more students could be accommodated. Writing Center tutor of two years, senior, Mariah Guerrero, says she noticed an increase in appointments.

“Last year there were a lot of appointments,” Guerrero said, “but it’s still cool to see more appointments and helping out a lot more people.”

Despite the fact that the school year has just begun, juniors have already started to reap the benefits of accessing a resource like the Writing Center. Tutee and new tutor, Vanessa Rosario, 11, says the center allows her to grow in her writing.

“As a junior, and as a student who is currently in APLAC,” Rosario said, “I know that I need some more help and more improvements to make.”

Prepared to help freshmen, sophomore, and junior writers, the Writing Center anticipates this year to be productive one. For more information, visit http://dhswritingcenter.weebly.com/ or see Mrs. Crespo in room A216.