Mya Franklin

ACADEMIC INSTRUCTOR
APPLICATION COACH

Mya had to become an educator to understand what it meant to be a writer. A Houston native and Northwestern University alumna with a BS in Social Policy and Spanish, her most formative experiences were teaching and designing creative writing curricula for Black and Latinx middle school youth in Chicago. That’s where she learned that helping students write freely meant first showing them how expansive writing could be. That concept of expansiveness is now at the heart of everything she does.

In her work with students, Mya grounds her teaching in three core principles: taking our minds and imaginations seriously; finding the synergy between joy and learning; and asking real questions. These aren't just guidelines—they shape the kind of learning environment she creates, one that is nourishing and rigorous in equal measure, and especially well-suited to students who have complicated relationships with school.

As an Application Coach, Mya brings this same philosophy to college essays. She helps students find and trust their own voice, move past narrow ideas of what "good writing" looks like, and tell their stories with honesty and confidence.

Mya currently works as a substitute teacher in Chicago Public Schools, staying close to the classroom and the students who inspire her most. She is also trained in qualitative research and is a published author in Reading Research Quarterly. In her free time, Mya enjoys writing eco-literature, crocheting, and being in nature as much as she can.