Ellen C. Harding
BIO
Ellen is the author of fiction and literary non-fiction and teaches high school English in Half Moon Bay, California. In 2002, she obtained her M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Mills College, where she was the recipient of the Ardella Mills Award for literary composition in fiction. Her literary non-fiction has been published by Manifest Press, and in 2020, she was an Associate Editor’s Choice finalist for the Chester B. Himes Memorial Fiction Prize. She is currently working on a collection of interconnected essays about her time growing up in the Midwest and her life on the West Coast. She lives with her amazing daughter, Elise, and their grey-faced dog, Hallie, who is twelve but always up for adventures.For the last six years, Ellen has also been a College Essay Specialist, helping students 1:1 and in small group workshops with brainstorming, drafting, revising, and editing their college application essays. Ellen's students have been accepted to the Top 20 Colleges, including the Ivy League.
RECENT COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE RESULTS:
Babson, Boston University, Case Western Reserve University, Chapman, CMU, De Anza College, Fordham, Georgia Tech, LMU, Northeastern, NYU, Penn State, Pepperdine, Purdue, Rice, Texas A&M, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UCLA, UIUC, University of Maryland, College Park, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, University of Oregon, University of the Pacific, Seattle, UPenn, University of Rochester, USC, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Washington University in Saint Louis, Williams College
Endorsements
College Essay Support
Ellen helps students elaborate on their own ideas to create strong and memorable writing pieces while ensuring that student voices come through loud and strong. Ellen strikes a good balance between constructive feedback and listening.
--Liz Murphy, Liz Murphy College Advising
Ellen was a wonderful instructor. She was excellent at high-level suggestions and asked guiding questions to help me understand what I wanted to say. In addition, her copy editing experience shines through in her ability to pinpoint and resolve awkward phrases, I highly recommend Ellen!
--Patrick Wang, Graduate Student, Carnegie Mellon University
English Instruction
Ellen has worked with 7th-12th grade students who have a wide variety of skill levels and confidence levels and not only successfully elevated their understanding and knowledge of literature and the written language, but has succeeded in creating interest in a subject that can be difficult for many students.
--Dawn McGee, Main Street Scholars
Ellen has a depth of knowledge of English that enables students to understand writing, and more importantly, her love of English literature is inspiring for her students. She has an empathetic heart and an outstanding ability to work with a range of students. I highly recommend Ellen.
--Jamie Weintraub, Director, Main Street Scholars
In her teaching, Ellen provides mature instruction and mentorship to workshop participants. Her teaching materials demonstrate inventive, theme-based, and personalized instruction. I highly recommend Ellen.
--Amy Sage Webb, Professor of Creative Writing, ESU
Hallie
Tendril Support
Hallie has been with Tendril since its inception, perforning a variety of tasks to help keep things running smoothly. When outside of the office, Hallie enjoys long hikes and outdoor adventures.
