RESUME
Meghan E. O'Toole, MA
Award-winning creative writer with career experience in marketing, branding, and teaching.
DIGITAL MARKETING AND CONTENT SPECIALIST - LAKE FOREST COLLEGE
Aug. 2021 - present
Write and edit marketing materials and web copy content for various university departments
Develop and polish updated brand voice; compile guidelines in a brand voice guide
Project manage marketing efforts for designated university departments, centering on DEI
Write news stories, organize events, and create and manage admissions cycle communication
Communicate between various departments regarding marketing materials
Edit and proofread outgoing print and digital communication pieces
Strategize and implement marketing plans including digital marketing ad strategies
Adhere to conventions outlined in The Chicago Manual of Style and institutional style
Manage workflow, deadlines, and strategies independently with Monday.com and Microsoft
Create uniformly branded content for various departments and purposes in Adobe Creative Suite
COLLEGE ENGLISH INSTRUCTOR (FORMER TA) - WESTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY
Aug. 2019 - present
Independently teach 2-3 sections of College Writing I and II per semester
Construct engaging lesson plans conduct class according to department expectations
Grade student assignments in a timely manner, providing detailed feedback to students
Develop syllabi that meet course objectives
Advise and support students during office hours as needed
Tutor students who need additional writing support
Provide feedback on writing assignments in order to help students develop skills
Employ MLA/APA style conventions
CONTENT WRITER/SOCIAL MEDIA AND BRANDING COORDINATOR - SQUADHELP
Aug. 2018-Mar. 2019
Ghost-write articles for high-ranking publications such as Entrepreneur.com and Business.com
Optimize articles for search engine ranking (SEO)
Pitch articles and develop a pitching system for SEO
Manage social media strategy for Squadhelp
Edit company communication and create advertisements
Construct a consistent brand foundation across social media media, verbally and visually
Facilitate email outreach for new SEO opportunities, reaching out to relevant publications
Manage business naming contests for startups, large corporations, and small businesses
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER AND BLOGGER - BREWPOINT COFFEE
Aug. 2016-May 2018
Write and edit marketing materials and web copy content for various university departments
Develop and polish updated brand voice; compile guidelines in a brand voice guide
Project manage marketing efforts for designated university departments, centering on DEI
Write news stories, organize events, and create and manage admissions cycle communication
Communicate between various departments regarding marketing materials
Edit and proofread outgoing print and digital communication pieces
Strategize and implement marketing plans including digital marketing ad strategies
Adhere to conventions outlined in The Chicago Manual of Style and institutional style
Manage workflow, deadlines, and strategies independently with Monday.com and Microsoft
Create uniformly branded content for various departments and purposes in Adobe Creative Suite
EDUCATION
Western Illinois University | Macomb, IL | August 2019–May 2021
MASTER OF ARTS IN ENGLISH
4.0 GPA | Teaching assistant and teaching support assistant, Department of English
Elmhurst University | Elmhurst, IL | August 2015–May 2017
BACHELOR OF ARTS IN ENGLISH
3.975 GPA | Summa Cum Laude | Honors Scholar | Sigma Tau Delta Honors Society | Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society - Minor in History
HONORS AND AWARDS
Ploughshares Emerging Writers’ Contest | 2021
the tiny journal Summer Flash Fiction Contest, First Place | 2021
Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award | 2021
Alfred J. Lindsey Memorial Scholarship | 2020
Ron & Leslie Walker Fellowship | 2020
LitMag’s Virginia Woolf Award for Short Fiction | 2018
Elmhurst Carlson Contest | First Place 2016 | Second Place 2017
National Community College Humanities Association Literary Magazine Contest | 2017
Robert Monteith International Poetry Competition, Third Place | 2016
PUBLICATIONS
Ploughshares | January 2022 | “Good Food for Starving Things”
LEON Literary Review | November 2021 | "Saint Sam"
Heirlock Magazine | August 2020 | “You Only Have the Tea You Brew”
Orca Literary Journal | July 2020 | “The Rest of Us"
LitMag | April 2020 | “Abditory”
Exposition Review | 2019 | “Don’t Waste Your Prayers, Saints are Bad Listeners” - Pushcart Nominee
Brainchild | 2017 | “Leaving Things” and “Slumber Americana”
CONFERENCES, PRESENTATIONS, AND ORGANIZATIONS
Grade Appeal Committee, Graduate Representative, 2020 [WIU]
English Graduate Organization, Co-President, 2020 [WIU]
Building Connections Mentor, 2020 [WIU]
“Identity, Wealth, and Status in The Secret History,” English Graduate Organization Conference, 2019
MiddleWestern Voice Literary Magazine, Staff, 2017
National Collegiate Honors Conference, Poetry Master Class, 2015
THESIS
Latent Romanticism, Images of Nature, and the Crises of Capitalism: The Poetry of of Mary Oliver and Ada Limón
Successfully Defended April 2021