Ashley Lauro

As a graduate of the JMU English Department, Mrs. Ashley Lauro is no stranger to the university’s writing program. Her teaching career came about during a graduate assistantship, in which she taught the General Education required writing course, GWRIT 103. Mrs. Lauro has remained committed to the First Year Writing Program hoping to instill in her students an appreciation for different writing styles and perspectives.

Having edited and published for two magazines during her undergraduate career, Mrs. Lauro most enjoys creative writing. Her favorite pieces of literature include Alice Walker’s, The Color Purple and Beloved written by Toni Morrison. While reading these books in high school, Lauro gained a new perspective on the world around her. “The Color Purple was the first book that I read that took me outside of my little bubble. It literally shook my world,” says Lauro. Her literary eye-opening experience spilled over into her career in that Lauro encourages her students to read books and articles that would broaden their social perspective.

She is also interested in studying and experimenting with different teaching pedagogies. Students enrolled in her class should look forward to an introduction to a fresh outlook on learning and instruction. “JMU offers a sophisticated approach to teaching writing,” says Mrs. Lauro, “and students at the university are definitely in a position to take on that challenge.”

Her personal writing style takes a professional tone. However, Mrs. Lauro encourages students to find their own voice by exposing them to different ideals and writing styles. She enjoys writing business letters and professional documents as well as creative writing pieces. In the future, Lauro intends to pursue a PhD in writing and hopes to broaden her own perspectives by teaching other classes.