CV - Spice for Thought

Alexandra Syrah

Nonfiction Thesis Fellow, George Mason University, 2014–2015.
Mary Roberts Rinehart Non-Fiction Award, Honorable Mention, George Mason University, 2014.
First Place in Wag’s Revue Summer Short Story Contest and $1000, Summer 2012.
First Place and $300 for MSU Creative Writing Awards for Fiction, 19 April 2011.
Jim Cash Award and $1500 for Creative Writing Portfolio at MSU, 14 April 2011.
First Place Award in Communication Arts and Sciences Oral Presentation at University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum (UURAF) at MSU, 8 April 2011.
“DO: The Way of Ethnography” Scholarship, EPIC Conference, National Association for the Practice of Anthropology, 2010.
$800 Jeffrey and Kathryn Cole International Study Award to Dakar, Senegal, 2010.
$5000 Presidential Scholarship for Study Abroad in Dakar, Senegal, 2010.
Four-Year Renewable Honors College National Scholarship at MSU, 2008 to 2011.
Live Poets Society, Honorable Mention, Fall–Winter 2007.

“Church on the Cross” essay read at the Master of Fine Arts Fellows Reading at George Mason University Fall for the Book Festival. 18 September 2014.
“Dragged to Christ,” essay read for the Loud Fire! Reading Series. Epicure Café, September 2014.
“After the Picardy” lyric essay read for the Loud Fire! Reading Series. Epicure Café, 15 September 2013.
“Cockroaches” essay read at the Kindling Reading Series. Friendship House, September 2012.
“Ecdysis” essay read at Daedalus Smokes Cigarettes on the Genial Sabbath at (SCENE) Metrospace. Hosted by Writer’s Collective of East Lansing. 4 April 2012.
Opening reader in Live Lit! Reading Series. Read several poems and a short story excerpt. 27 October 2011.
Read several lyric essay excerpts in Short Readings by Professional Writing Students at the Society for the Study of Midwestern Literature. May 7–9, 2009

Adjunct Professorial Lecturer at American University (2019)
Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Northern Virginia Community College (2016/2019)
Graduate Instructor at George Mason University (2013/2014)
Writing Center Tutor at George Mason University (2012)
English Instructor at Bright N Up Academy (2019)
English Teacher at Curie Learning (2016/2017)
Assistant Writing Instructor at Take My Word for It! Creative Writing for Kids (2013)
Private Tutor at Akari Tutoring (2012)
Freelance tutoring, including working with artist Hera Kim (Ongoing)

Nonfiction Editor at the literary journal So to Speak: a feminist journal of language and art (2014-2015)
Nonfiction reader at the literary journal Phoebe (2012)
Copy Managing Editor for the yearbook Red Cedar Log (2010-2011)
Poetry Reader for the literary journal Red Cedar Review (2011)
Nonfiction Intern for the literary journal Fourth Genre: Explorations in Nonfiction (2011)
Peer Reviewer at the scholarly undergraduate journal Articulate (2009)
Freelance Editing that encompasses copy and/or development editing of everything from a PhD dissertation, sci-fi thriller, after-school enrichment curriculum, and a prep school review website (Ongoing)