Our Team

Co-op Program Assistant

LILLIAN IS A THIRD YEAR DREXEL STUDENT WITH A CUSTOM DESIGNED MAJOR IN ACADEMIC COUNSELING AND ADVISING, AND IS WORKING WITH WRITERS ROOM FOR HER SPRING/SUMMER CO-OP. HER YEARS WITH TRIPOD ENCOURAGED HER INVOLVEMENT WITH PHOTOGRAPHY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

Operations Manager

JESSICA IS THE OPERATIONS MANAGER AT WRITERS ROOM SUPPORTING THE GREAT IDEAS AND SMALL DETAILS. THE THREAD THAT TIES TOGETHER HER LIFE EXPERIENCES AND PULLS HER FORWARD IS THE DESIRE TO CREATE SOCIAL CHANGE AND UPLIFT THE HUMAN HEART THROUGH ART AND CREATIVITY.

Community Engagement Liaison

VICTORIA HUGGINS PEURIFOY IS A RECENT GRADUATE OF PEIRCE COLLEGE RECEIVING A BS IN ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP. SHE IS A WRITERS ROOM FOUNDING MEMBER, AN AUTHOR, PHOTOGRAPHER, POET, AND SPOKEN WORD ARTIST. FOR 14 YEARS, SHE FACILITATED A SENIOR CITIZEN POETRY AND DISCUSSION GROUP AND CO-FACILITATES A STORYTELLING GROUP CALLED THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE SO FAR. SHE IS THE MOTHER OF THREE AND GRANDMOTHER TO TEN.

Adjunct Instructor & Managing Editor

LAUREN LOWE IS A WRITER AND A TEACHING ARTIST WITH FAMILY ROOTS IN PHILADELPHIA’S CHINATOWN. SHE’S WORN A LOT OF HATS WITH WRITERS ROOM SINCE JOINING AS A STUDENT IN 2015. CURRENTLY SHE’S THE MANAGING EDITOR FOR ANTHOLOGY 10 AND TEACHES THE COMMUNITY-BASED LEARNING COURSE, WRIT 290: WRITERS ROOM EXPERIENCE. SHE RECEIVED AN MFA IN CREATIVE WRITING FROM NEW YORK UNIVERSITY.

Archivist and AmeriCorps Seniors Researcher

CAROL RICHARDSON MCCULLOUGH IS A RETIRED ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS TEACHER BY TRADE AND A POET/MEMOIRIST AT HEART. SHE IS A FOUNDING MEMBER OF WRITERS ROOM AT DREXEL UNIVERSITY AND A FORMER TRIPOD WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE. SHE IS CURRENTLY A COMMUNITY RESEARCHER WITH THE JUSTICE-ORIENTED YOUTH (JOY) EDUCATION LAB AT DREXEL’S SCHOOL OF EDUCATION, AS WELL AS WRITERS ROOM ARCHIVIST. HER WRITING INCLUDES A CHAPTER BOOK (IMPLOSION); POEMS, ESSAYS, AND MEMOIR. SHE’S PUBLISHED IN (WR) ANTHOLOGY, VOL. 1-9, AND THE 33RD; AS WELL AS CONTRIBUTION TO THE JOURNAL OF TRAUMA STUDIES IN EDUCATION (2022). THIS “WV MOUNTAIN MAMA TURNED PHILY JAWN” LOOKS FOR THE LYRICISM OF LIFE AND USUALLY FINDS IT IN A POEM.

Programs Manager

TEDDY IS THE PROGRAMS MANAGER AT WRITERS ROOM, BUILDING COMMUNITY THROUGH PUBLIC PROGRAMMING. HE IS AN ARTIST, EDUCATOR, AND ADMINISTRATOR, AND IS EXCITED TO WEAR ALL THOSE HATS WITH WRITERS ROOM. TEDDY COMPLETED HIS MFA IN CERAMICS AT TYLER SCHOOL OF ART & ARCHITECTURE, AND HIS CREATIVITY IS CURRENTLY SPLIT BETWEEN THE STUDIO AND KITCHEN - BOTH PRACTICES CENTERED ON BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER OVER A MEAL.  

Anchor Artist

SOFIE IS AN EDUCATOR, ARTIST, AND SOMEONE WHO LIVES AT THE INTERSECTION OF THE TWO. THEY ARE INTERESTED IN HOW COMMUNITIES CAN USE ART TO DESCRIBE AND TO TANGIBLY BUILD THE WORLD THEY WISH TO LIVE IN. A FORMER PHILADELPHIA PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER, THEY ARE THRILLED TO CONTINUE SERVING THE PHILLY COMMUNITY.

Founding Director

RACHEL HAS WORKED AS A WAITRESS, A ROOFER, AND A TEACHER. ALL OF THESE JOBS REQUIRED PAYING ATTENTION. BEING A WRITER HAS TRAINED HER TO LOOK FOR THE THROUGH-LINES THAT INTERSECT TO MAKE A LARGER NARRATIVE. SHE RECEIVED AN MFA FROM COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY’S SCHOOL OF THE ARTS AND IS CO-AUTHOR OF SINGER AND ACTIVIST ANGELIQUE KIDJO’S MEMOIR, SPIRIT RISING.