The Story Consulting
Experienced instruction with compassionate approaches to literacy
Serving an international base with roots in Denver
Services
Helping young thinkers navigate secondary and post-secondary education
College Readiness
Individual consultations to create a college admissions plan
College essay guidance
Resume building
Assistance with the College Application Process
Testing information for PSAT/ACT/SAT
Scholarship & Financial Aid Information
AP & IB Tutoring
In person/virtual meetings to build confidence with coursework and overall literacy
Practice MCQ’s with live feedback
Development of essay types for AP/IB
Practice scores with live feedback
Review AP/IB coursework
Extended Essay feedback/review
Creative Writing Mentorship
Individual/group workshops to polish drafts
Review revision strategies
Discuss readings for craft comprehension
Receive feedback and build stronger collections of personal work
Build a portfolio for MFA applications
As a former teacher with over a decade of experience, my passion is assisting young people in finding their voice to meet personal and academic goals. I’ve facilitated learning through college board Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and Expeditionary Learning models both internationally and in the United States. Whether your goal is college readiness, AP/IB test preparation or general support in ELA classwork, I’m here to embolden your innate ability to communicate, analyze, read deeper, or express yourself more creatively.
Welcome to The Story
Post-secondary mentorship is often overlooked and undervalued. I have created "The Story” to guide young people into their own post-secondary story equipped with information, facts and clarity around their options. While this includes the importance of the college essay, my work here also emphasizes micro-level coursework that Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or standard ELA classes require. I’m here to maximize opportunities and mitigate the stress that comes along with student needs, not to stack onto an already heavy workload.
Teaching places me directly in life, not something floating around its peripheries. In a world of shifting educational practices, the rise of artificial intelligence and increased screen time, my work is to restore learners’ confidence in thinking critically and creative expression for success as global citizens.
Above all, I want my students to know that what they are doing is brave, that their efforts are validated and assures a positive work ethic that will assist them throughout their academic careers.
Mission:
Compassion: I’m committed to meeting students where they are at to cultivate belonging and trust. I believe literacy skills affords empathy and humanity, laying a path to eventually transcend the literature into one’s life.
Curiosity: I believe curiosity encourages epiphany, for students to make the connection between the self and the world at large through the use of language.
Knowledge: The rise of artificial intelligence is changing how information is interpreted and received. I’m here to help young thinkers tune back into their mind’s innate power to compute difficulty and celebrate their ownership of understanding.
Values
Testimonials
“Ms. Knowles’ approach to all of her teachings is rooted in her profound passion for writing, literature, and its wonders—a passion that is contagious to her students. Not only will you improve literacy skills, but, most importantly, you will understand the utmost significance that literacy has (supporting your ideas in an essay, being analytical in your readings, studying works of literature) in creating well-rounded, critical, thoughtful, reflective, and enlightened individuals. During this critical time in history, we are in desperate need of more teachers like Ms. Knowles, who encourages people to be inquisitive, critical, and erudite. I, for one, am honored to have been her student, who, without a doubt, shaped me into the man I am today, and I will always do my best to support and elevate educators like Ms. Knowles.”
Mario Octavio Arregui, Fundación Colegio Americano de Quito, Class of 2020
“Anna had a natural ability to connect with learners, meet them where they were and push them toward their potential with both patience and clarity. I always appreciated the way you made learning feel approachable and empowering.”
Danielle Kelley, Parent
“Ms. Knowles is the kind of teacher who leaves a lasting impact. Her class sparked my love for storytelling and for seeking out the complexities of the human experience reflected in literature. She has a unique ability to challenge, inspire, and bring out the best in her students. I’m confident I won’t be the last student she guides toward greatness”
Joaquín Abad, Fundación Colegio Americano de Quito, Class of 2020
“Ms. Knowles rewired the way I approached Literature and the way my brain worked. The tools she provided tremendously benefit me from how I approach reading books for leisure to understanding wordy academic papers for University, putting me a step above the rest. While her content and style of teaching are unlike anything I have encountered (even in university), Ms. Knowles herself has a blazing passion for teaching and nurturing students. I will never get over AP Lang where Ms. Knowles not only nurtured my passion for reading and writing, but offered me abilities that benefited almost every aspect of my life”.
Virenda Ramcharitar, International School Port of Spain, Class of 2023
“I gained so much from Anna’s college essay support class. She worked with me and the other students from the beginning of the essay writing process with brainstorming ideas, all the way through when I was submitting my essay to colleges, fine tuning the details and advising with her extensive literary knowledge. I completed the class confident in my ability to express myself effectively and meaningfully in my essay and have been able to apply the skills I gained to projects I’ve worked on in college. Without reservation I would definitely recommend Anna for anyone looking for support and guidance in their college essay writing journey.”
Alison Spiegel, Rocky Mountain School of Expeditionary Learning, Class of 2024
“In Anna’s classes, I was given many creative freedoms to explore what I valued in the literary arts which made learning incredibly rewarding. Her classes and passion in teaching made me appreciate prose and poetry in a way I hadn’t before, leading me to continue writing and reading outside of a classroom environment and pursuing similar classes in college”.
Dylan, Rocky Mountain School of Expeditionary Learning, Class of 2024