NY AREA
TEAM MEMBERS
NEW YORK
Caitlin (Katie)
Caitlin Barasch is a novelist, writing instructor, and freelance editor. Her first book, A NOVEL OBSESSION, was published by Dutton (Penguin Random House) and has also been translated into Portuguese and Russian. A NOVEL OBSESSION was featured on Good Morning America, recommended by Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, and was named one of Buzzfeed’s “Best Books of 2022.” Born and raised in New York, Caitlin earned her BA from Colorado College and her MFA in Fiction from New York University, where she also taught creative writing. Her work has appeared in over a dozen publications, and been nominated for Best Small Fictions. A former bookseller, Caitlin is currently a creative writing instructor at The Writers Circle and a Visiting Assistant Professor at Colorado College.
Sydney
As a tutor and teacher, Sydney’s goal is to make each and every student feel like they can achieve whatever it is that they are struggling with. In addition to that, she is always aiming to add excitement in tackling whatever it may be that is in front of them. Sydney believes in the powers of empathy and patience when teaching, as each student learns differently.
Sydney attended Indiana University for her undergraduate education and has been working in education for almost 4 years. She began her profession in a special needs pre-school in Westchester, New York. She is now teaching at Learning Spring Elementary School, a special needs elementary school in the Gramercy area of Manhattan, where she has learned an abundance of new skills and gained more insight to how differently every student learns.
Lauren
Lauren Messina was born and raised in the Westchester County, NY. She started working with children twenty years ago when her first child entered kindergarten. She is a certified Teaching Assistant registered with NYS Department of Education and works with kids from kindergarten through high school in all different capacities. She has also taught Arts & Crafts, Cheerleading, Fashion Club, Theatre & Movement, Woodworking, Building & Robotics, and more.
Matthew
Matthew P. Melucci is an award-winning digital media specialist and writer/journalist, who has founded, managed and developed several web and mobile-based businesses serving the nonprofit, STEM, entertainment, music, travel, social media, marketing and content space.
He is a professor of graduate media studies, design and writing/journalism at the New School and Parson’s School of Design and has served as Senior Director of Content Strategy and Communications for Stony Brook University and the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science.
In addition to his work developing and managing marketing plans, campaigns and applications for startups, Melucci has founded and helped develop several innovative companies with business models built around social interactions, technology and digital media.
His passion is in teaching the art of storytelling, content development, and how to engage today’s audiences and readers with words, images and ideas.
