After spending three years doing research and helping hundreds of Grand Valley State University students as a peer consultant in the Frederik Mejier Center for Writing and Michigan Authors, GVSU senior Dale Johnson is finally being recognized.

Johnson, a professional writing major, received an award certificate and a $200 prize for winning the East Central Writing Centers Association (ECWCA) Tutor of the Year Award at the annual ECWCA conference in March. Students of the Writing Center travelled to Indianapolis, Ind., to attend the conference, which was hosted by Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.

In order to receive the award, Johnson researched the topic of self-efficacy and presented his work at the conference. He said he conducted much of his research in the Writing Center and in classrooms while he was helping other students.

“There are no shortage of things that makes Dale a good writer,” said Patrick Johnson, assistant director of the GVSU Writing Center.

Dale and seven other GVSU students presented at the annual conference, but he has participated in many more over the past two years, during which he served as a lead consultant, training and guiding new consultants.

Patrick said Dale is a role model consultant at the writing center.

“I like to think of my consultations as conversations,” Dale said, adding that he wanted to become a writing consultant after having direct interaction with a writing consultant in his Writing 150 course freshman year. “All the students I work with have such interesting ideas … It makes me excited.”

He said his favorite sessions with students involve brainstorming for papers, and watching the development of a paper is very rewarding.

“I love getting to see a paper develop over time,” he said.

But Dale said his favorite part of consulting overall is being able to work with students.

“He [Dale] adapts to students’ needs,” he said, adding that he has a calmness that puts students at ease.

Dale said he hopes students understand that writing is universal, and he said he hopes “students feel more empowered and prepared with their writing.”

Despite Dale’s leadership and experience as a consultant, he uses the Writing Center as a resource himself, and said he even enjoys going over his own papers with other consultants. But the other workers aren’t the only ones who have influenced Dale’s academics.

“We pick up info from students we work with,” he said.

After graduating at the end of this semester, Dale said he considers going into writing center administration or starting a writing center at another school.

He also has a minor in art and design, which he said he would like to incorporate into his writing career. He added that he wants to interact with the art community and has considered doing promotional writing for art galleries.

“He is capable of doing anything,” Patrick said.

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