
About
A writing coach, not an agency.

Hello, I'm Derek
Every student gets me — not a rotating team.
I earned my B.A. in English Literature and M.S. in Finance from the University of Miami. While my academic background has given me a strong foundation in writing and analytical thinking, I've come to believe that helping students with their college applications requires something equally important: empathy.
Applying to college is an incredibly personal experience. You're asked to put your experiences, ambitions, and insecurities into words, then hand those words to a committee of strangers who will decide whether to offer you a place at their university. That's an enormous amount of pressure, especially when you're still figuring out who you are and who you want to become.
The significance of that process isn't lost on me. I understand how much these applications mean to students and their families, and I take that responsibility seriously. My job isn't simply to make an essay sound better. It's to help students find confidence in their stories, navigate difficult decisions, and feel a little less overwhelmed along the way.
That's why I keep my approach personal. When we work together, you'll work directly with me. We'll talk through your ideas, figure out what matters most to you, and develop essays that feel genuinely yours. I'll be there to offer guidance, challenge you when necessary, and help carry some of the weight of a process that can otherwise feel daunting.