Meet our Writing Consultants!

Brian Engler
Hometown: Laconia, NH
Academic Year: Junior
Major: English
After Brian's failed attempt at being a rock star after high school, his father decided it was time for him to go to college. Brian's new goal was to travel across the country and go to school in California near his sister and take up residence at the nearest beach as a surf bum. He only made it halfway, however, and found himself at Black Hills State University. Though he still aspires to be a rock and roll god, Brian is content with the way things turned out, and is not looking forward to graduation because it will force him to examine his future again.

Clint Augustson
Hometown: Anoka, MN
Academic Year: Senior
Majors: English and Speech Communication with a Writing Minor
Clint is generally remarkably good at forgetting things. For instance, it took him a month to remember that he was supposed to put something informative here! Clint is a fifth-year college student, and he's so fond of the experience that he might just remain stuck in colleges for the rest of his life (possibly even graduating at some point). Other interests include hiking, old books, caffeine, long rambling discussions of nothing particularly important, and castles.

Gwen Writer

Hometown: Sturgis, SD
Academic Year: Junior/Senior-ish
Majors and Minors: Environmental Physical Science major, Writing and Math minors

Tonya Morton

Hometown: Sturgis, SD
Academic Year: Senior
Majors and Minors: English major, Writing minor

I love pretty much any TV show that would call my "serious nerd" status into question: Gossip Girl, America's Next Top Model, Grey's Anatomy. What can I say? McDreamy vs. McSteamy is a big internal struggle for me.

Anna Dykstra
Hometown: Plainview, SD
Academic Year: Sophomore
Major: Nursing
I have many diverse interests and my life is full of adventures. I love nature and being outside on foot, bike, skis, in gardens, and on the prairie where I grew up; I enjoy watching animals and natural processes. I am studying nursing and midwifery, and I am an assistant to a homebirth midwife. I also have a deep interest in local, natural food and small-scale sustainable agriculture. I love music of all kinds, reading, and art. I take pride in knowing my family history, and I also enjoy meeting and befriending interesting people of all ages and kinds.

Teri McTighe
Hometown: Maurine, SD
Academic Year: Senior
Major: English, Art
In my spare time, of which there is increasingly less and less, I train horses, delude myself that I will someday play guitar and piano as well as some of the musicians I listen to, hope to write novels and poetry well enough to be published, and dream of gaining such fame with my art that I will tour Europe on a regular basis. But until all my ultra-modest goals become reality, I'm here enjoying Western South Dakota and the Black Hills in all their mountain & prairie beauty.

Ben Reiter

Hometown: Riverton, WY
Academic Year: Junior
Majors and Minors: Political Science major, English minor

I enjoy riding my bicycle and hiking.

And Our Writing Center Director!

Deaver Traywick

Hometown: Cope, SC
This is Deaver's ninth Writing Center year.

Deaver holds a B.A. in East Asian Studies, and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing. His other interests: Long-distance walking, diesel mechanics, and farming. According to Deaver: "I'm just slumming it in college until something more earthy comes along."