Meg Murphy and Michael Curtin, co-founders of DreamRoots, are intuitive essay coaches who possess over 40 years’ combined teaching experience and a keen understanding of college admissions audiences.

Meg received her MA in English from Northwestern University and later taught English at Hinsdale Central High School. As an Associate Professor of English at DeVry University, Meg enjoys a dedicated following in her writing, public speaking, and career development courses. Meg most appreciates teaching high school juniors and seniors in the DeVry University Advantage Academy, a dual enrollment program through the Chicago Public Schools.

An empathetic and results-driven college consultant and essay coach for the past ten years, Meg has collaborated with hundreds of college applicants, helping them find their ideal fit in schools such as Colorado College, the University of Illinois, Notre Dame, NYU, and Tulane.

Michael received his MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia College in Chicago. As a graduate student in the renowned John Schultz Story Workshop, he received the Associated Writers’ Program Intro Award for Non-Fiction.

Michael’s 15 years of teaching creative writing, critical thinking, composition, and ESL has helped him become attuned to the strengths and needs of each individual. Currently a Visiting Professor at DeVry University and Co-Director at Waypoint Tutoring Studio, Michael believes that teaching is about helping students find their voice and the platform to best express it. His prevailing goal at DreamRoots is to convey to college admissions departments who his students are and where they are headed. He has collaborated with students who now attend such prestigious colleges as Vanderbilt University, Harvey Mudd College, and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Rebecca received a B.A. in International Relations from Tufts University, where she also worked extensively on the campus newspaper, The Tufts Daily, holding roles ranging from Managing Editor to Outreach Coordinator to Co-Chair of the Intentionality and Inclusivity Committee. She is now an editorial event producer at Fast Company, where she also writes and reports. You can find additional work of hers in outlets including Inc. Magazine, Rewire News Group, and Callaway Climate Insights. In her free time she loves reading, running, and trying out new recipes in her tiny New York City apartment kitchen.

Rebecca is passionate about helping people tell their stories — she’s grateful to have the opportunity not only to do so through her reporting, but also through working as a writing coach. She deeply enjoys helping students articulate their ambitions, ideas, and interests.

Nancy attended the University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana where she majored in Speech, English, and Theater. She spent several years involved in the Chicago area theatre community including being a founding member/director of a theatre company still thriving today.

However, her true passion was in teaching. She eventually switched careers and acquired a master's degree in English Education from St. Xavier University. She taught high school English, speech, and journalism while also coaching the speech team and running the school newspaper. For 10 years, she also worked for a test preparation company as a teacher and supervisor helping high school students improve their PSAT and ACT scores. A little more than a decade ago, she started teaching English at DeVry University with a heavy concentration in writing courses. She has been teaching English and humanities courses for over 25 years.

The best part about being a teacher for Nancy is being able to make a difference in the futures of the thousands of students with whom she has had the pleasure to work.

Grace received her B.A. in American Studies and Journalism from Georgetown University where, in addition to her studies, she worked extensively as an editor for Georgetown’s newspaper, The Hoya. There, her experience ranged from editing articles to launching a podcast series. Additionally, Grace has gone on to pursue journalism professionally, including business reporting for the magazine Fast Company and other freelance work for magazines such as Cruising World. In her free time, Grace is an avid explorer of the outdoors and can often be found skiing, hiking, or camping.

Grace enjoys working with students to think of writing as an iterative process. Stemming from her academic background in research, memoirs, and creative-nonfiction, Grace strives to coach students about identifying the ways in which the written word can best articulate their ideas and aspirations.

John credits his high school English AP teacher with instilling a love of writing in him, and he has been writing ever since. John’s writing credits include a screenplay, a TV pilot, and about twenty years’ worth of comedy sketches, written after studying with both The Second City and Improv Olympic.

John earned a BA in Spanish from Illinois Wesleyan University and an MA in Linguistics from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He has taught English at the U.S. State Department, at universities such as UIC and Loyola, and at a number of local colleges.

What John most enjoys about helping students write their college application essays is the creative and personal aspect of the work. He specializes in helping students find their voice, and when appropriate, including a bit of humor in their writing.

In his twenty two years as a teacher, Kevin has taught thousands of children and adults in all aspects of the English language. He has helped Korean children speak their first English sentences, American adults improve their reading comprehension, and college-bound teens discover their voices. TESOL/TESL/TEFL certified, Kevin has taught ESL for fifteen years. He has also spent the past seven years as an ACT/SAT tutor and a college essay writing coach. Prior to that, Kevin taught for The Institute of Reading Development, working from coast to coast to improve literacy and instill a love of books.

In addition to being a teacher, Kevin is also an award-winning writer and musician, having received his Bachelor's in English with a Focus in Creative Writing from Columbia College. He has always felt a passion for language and communication – a passion he brings to every one of his classes. Whether it’s in a classroom or in one-on-one tutoring, he fosters a comfortable yet energetic environment where his students feel engaged, challenged, and free to take chances. Or, as one of his students said of him, he strives to “encourage, entertain, and, most important, inspire.”

Deb Lewis

Writing Coach

Everyone has stories, and Deb’s teaching mission is to help folks of all backgrounds find their voices and tell the stories only they can tell.

Deb received her MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia College in Chicago. She tutored and taught there for seventeen years using the John Schultz Story Workshop Method, trained tutors, and served briefly on the department’s curriculum committee. She’s had the deep pleasure of teaching community engagement and education classes for the Goodman Theatre for the past decade. As a 2nd Story company member, she’s a strong believer in the power of story to create and sustain community.

Deb’s writing and storytelling have been featured at Fillet of Solo, Gumbo Fiction Salon, Next Theatre, Hypertext Magazine, Chicago Literati, Cellstories.net, Gertrude, Criminal Class Review, F Magazine, Hair Trigger, and many others. Her writing has appeared in a couple anthologies—Briefly Knocked Unconscious by a Low-Flying Duck: A 2nd Story Anthology (Elephant Rock Books) and Windy City Queer: LGBTQ Dispatches from the Third Coast (U of Wisconsin Press)—and she has received a Pushcart nomination.

Doug received a Bachelor of Arts in English from Marquette University and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Columbia College Chicago where he was awarded the John Schultz/Betty Shiflett Scholarship. His writing has been featured on radio for WBEZ's news program 848 and on stage for Theater Seven's Jeff-nominated production of "We Live Here." In the past, his work has been published in Hypertext Magazine, Cell Stories, Hair Trigger and F Magazine.

Doug has been an Adjunct Professor of Creative Writing at Columbia College Chicago since 2007 where he has enjoyed teaching fiction and non-fiction courses to students with diverse interests and backgrounds. He is also a co-faculty leader for the Columbia College J-Term Study Abroad program in Paris where he teaches writing workshops for aspiring authors. As a long-time writing instructor at DeVry University and more recently at Triton College, Doug has helped writers find their voice by fostering a positive collaborative student-centered learning environment.

Doug looks forward to guiding you toward your dreams and goals as a writing coach for DreamRoots!