Educator | Writer | Mentor | Speaker

Hi, my name is Lirim. Welcome to my website.

I help colleges ensure academic quality and student success. I do this through my work as a college administrator and by mentoring other administrators and professors in their careers.

I also write educational blogs, creative newsletters, eBooks, and novels. And I speak at conferences, at community organizations, and to student groups.

On this website, you can find information about my writing, mentoring, and speaking services. You can also read and subscribe to my blog.

Mentoring for Higher Education

For College Administrators

Mentoring for deans and department managers for strategic goals, marketing plans, academic assessment, accreditation, and curriculum development. I can also mentor for employee conflict resolution, faculty tenure evaluations, and strategies for effective meetings.

For Teachers

Mentoring for professors and graduate teaching assistants to grow as teachers and scholars. I can help with syllabi, lesson plans, assignments, grading rubrics, strategies for student engagement, and online pedagogy. For researchers, I can help plan and edit journal articles, book manuscripts, grant applications, research proposals, and conference presentations.

For Graduate Students

Mentoring for graduate students who are interested in an academic career. I provide support for comprehensive exams, the dissertation process, the CV, application letters, research agendas, and teaching philosophies.

Instructional Design

I can develop, revise, or review online courses on Canvas and D2L Brightspace. Areas of focus include weekly modules, content pages, embedded multimedia, quizzes, assignments, discussions, announcements, and the gradebook.

Other Freelance Services

Document Writing & Editing for Businesses and Individuals

For businesses and organizations, I can write or edit case studies, white papers, company blogs, formal reports, product descriptions, and email newsletters. For individuals, I can help with resumes, cover letters, and presentation materials.

Developmental Editing for Fiction and Non-Fiction Books

I can help authors develop plots and characters for their fiction, and I can ghost-write non-fiction books such as personal memoirs, cookbooks, and family histories. Editing and proofreading services for completed manuscripts include content organization, sentence structure, grammar, word usage, and punctuation.

Keynote Speaking and Group Presentations

My keynote presentation for academic conferences, graduation, student groups, and community organizations features my educational journey from elementary school in Yugoslavia to junior high, high school, and college in the United States. It is ideal for topics in multicultural and international education.

Group Presentations and Workshops

I can speak to groups of administrators and faculty about strategic planning, academic assessment, curriculum development, classroom teaching strategies, and online pedagogies. I can also lead hands-on workshops on-site or virtually.

Podcast Guest – invite me to speak on your podcast!

My Story…

For much of my childhood, my family and I lived in a small town on a mountain in Yugoslavia (now the Republic of North Macedonia). I attended elementary school in the impoverished but historic building in this picture. Yet, I was lucky because the school was in my town and only an short distance from my home. Many classmates had to walk several kilometers every morning.

When my family and I returned to the United States, I discovered that I was very far my behind my American classmates in every subject. I barely knew enough English to have a conversation, and I struggled to re-learn the language and to catch up on the academic material. For several months, I was the only student in my class – and probably the only student in the history of that junior high school – to be studying third-grade textbooks as a sixth grader. Luckily, my teachers were able to give me a lot of personalized attention, and I met with tutors both at school and then privately at home.

This experience taught me that education, particularly English language skills, could be both a reason for alienation and also a tool for cultural assimilation.

Once I started to learn the language again, I could talk with classmates, and I could learn at my grade level. I started to make friends and feel part of the classroom. This learning experience made me feel like I had achieved something great, and I felt a sense of pride and personal accomplishment.

This experience encouraged me to pursue a career in education. It made me realize that great things can come from education, and I have made it my life goal to help others transform their lives, their families, and their communities through education.

I hope I can inspire and help you become a great educator as well.