Pat Phillips is pursuing a double concentration, in writing and theatre, within her English major. She had the honor of being chosen to interview playwright Tony Kushner during her junior year. Since 1992, Pat has been a tutor for the Literacy Volunteers of America, and was the recipient of two Outstanding Achievement awards for her work with illiterate youth, incarcerated young adults and juveniles, recovering alcoholics and learning disabled adults. In April 2005, she was a guest speaker at the Research Program for Prevention of Child Abuse, and has been asked to be an annual speaker. Pat's goal is to become a free-lance essayist focusing on the problem of illiteracy and its relation to incarcerated juveniles. She would also like to head a writing program for women in prison and use this experience to write works of fiction about these women. At present, she believes her most challenging achievement is that of balancing time as full-time student, wife and mother.
