EDUCATION
Certificate in Creative Writing, University of California Extension, Los Angeles
Certificate in College Counseling, University of California Extension, Los Angeles
M.A. in English Literature, California State University, Los Angeles
TESOL Certificate, University of California Extension, Los Angeles
Masters in Education, University of California, Los Angeles
Single Subject Credential, University of California, Los Angeles
B.A. in English, University of California, Los Angeles
CREDENTIALS
Professional Clear Single Subject Teaching Credential; Authorized Field: English; Bilingual, Cross-Cultural, Language & Academic Development Emphasis: Spanish, UCLA
CERTIFICATES
College Board Endorsement AP English Literature — UCLA Extension
College Board Endorsement AP English Language — UCLA Extension
National Board Certification – Early Adolescent English Language Arts, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, Renewal
National Board Certification – Early Adolescent English Language Arts, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
English/ESL/ELD Secondary Teacher, Los Angeles Unified School District
Reed Mentor, Roybal Learning Center, Los Angeles Unified School District
Rater (CSU-EAP, CAHSEE) Educational Testing Service, Princeton, New Jersey
District Intern Instructor, Los Angeles Unified School District
Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment Provider, LAUSD
National Board Support Facilitator, Los Angeles Unified School District
ESL Teacher, Belmont Community Adult School, LAUSD
ESL Teacher, Fremont Community Adult School, LAUSD
Teacher Training Academy Facilitator, LAUSD
National Board Support Facilitator, Los Angeles, Unified School District
SB1969 Facilitator, Los Angeles Unified School District
Mentor Teacher, Los Angeles Unified School District
ESL Teacher, Fairfax Community Adult School
Title VII Participant, Los Angeles Unified School District
PUBLICATIONS
Magazine
Decolonial Passage Literary Magazine, Founding and Managing Editor (Dec 2020- present)
PERSONAL ESSAYS AND CREATIVE NONFICTION
“How to Eat Grits,” in A Gathering Together, Fall 2025
“Desert: Southern California and the Sahara,” hybrid essay/memoir in Panorama Journal, March 2024
“Rain-Soaked Banana Plantations, Quetzal Birds, Garifuna Music,” an essay in Isele Magazine, Dec 2022
“Swimming Towards Africa” an essay in A Long House, May 2022
“Black Pride, 1968, and the Godfather of Soul” an essay in Sapphire Hues, December 2021
“Haiti and the US-Mexico Border” an essay in Pure Slush, September 2021
“Aunt Jemima, Headwraps, and Hair” an essay in Another Chicago Magazine, June 2021
“Dear Galactic Living (From the Dystopian Letters)” an essay in LitroNY, July 2020
“Dear Rap Music” an essay in LitroNY, June 2020
“Dear Northern Hemisphere” an essay in LitroNY, May 2020
“Dear Africa,” an essay in LitroNY, May 2020
“Dear Corporate State” an essay in LitroNY, April 2020
“Dear Pandemic” an essay in LitroNY, April 2020
“Nina Simone Who Drinks Milk at the Liquor Bar is Still Singing in Liberia” an essay in A Gathering Together, Spring 201
“Jim Crow, White Fanaticism, American Fascism” an essay in LitroNY, October 2019
“Love for Foreigners and Other Foolish Flights of Fancy” an essay in A Gathering Together, Spring 2018
POETRY
“Damn Darnell,” “Migration,” & “I Slip Away Sometime in Linden Avenue Literary Journal, July 2018
“La Chanteuse of Jazz,” “La Pachanga,” & “Boca Oficial” three poems in The Américas Review–Arte Público Press, Vol 19, Nos 3-4
BOOK REVIEWS
“Anguish, Agony, Babylon: On Safiya Sinclair’s How to Say Babylon” in LitroNY, November 2023
“Pulling the Chariot of the Sun: A Memoir of a Kidnapping by Shane McCrae” in Crayon Magazine, September 2023
“Making the Invisible Visible: Review of My Life as a Chameleon by Diana Anyakwo” in Brittle Paper, September 2023
“Life’s Possibilities, Impossible Mom: A Review of Lucky Girl by Irene Muchemi-Ndiritu” in Brittle Paper, May 2023
“A Memoir Traversing Time, Family Lore, and Space: Review of I Am Still With You by Emmanuel Iduma” in Brittle Paper, April 2023
HONORS AND AWARDS
Association of Writers & Writing Programs Season 21 Writer to Writer Mentee, May 2025
PEN America Emerging Voices Workshop Los Angeles, December 2024
Barbara Abercrombie Scholarship, UCLA Extension Creative Writing Program, June 2023
READINGS, WORKSHOPS, AND PRESENTATIONS
“New Literary Forms for a New Literary Los Angeles” panel with Claire Phillips, Steph Cha, Gina Frangello, and Sesshu Foster, AWP Conference, March 27, 2025, LA Convention Center, Los Angeles, California
The Final Reading: PEN America Emerging Voices Workshop Los Angeles, December 6, 2024, Unlikely Collaborators, Santa Monica, California
“Prose Choices: Fiction or Creative Nonfiction” presentation with writer David Agyei-Yeboah: Creator and Co-facilitator, October 14, 2023, Pa Gya! Literary Festival, Accra, Ghana
“Creative Nonfiction: Personal Essay and Memoir” writing workshop: Creator and Facilitator, October 13, 2023, Pa Gya! Literary Festival, Accra, Ghana
Invited Reader. Another Chicago Magazine, AWP Conference offsite reading, March 11, 2023, Arundel Books, Seattle, Washington
“College Readiness: Elementary to High School” professional development for teachers and counselors: Creator and Facilitator, April 8-29, 2017, Los Angeles, California
COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER WORK
Posse Foundation, Los Angeles, Writing Coach for 12th-grade scholarship recipients, 2012-2016
CONFERENCES ATTENDED
New York Black and African Literature Festival, September 5-7, 2025, Harlem, New York
Association of Writers & Writing Programs, March 26-29, 2025, Los Angeles, California
Black Writers Weekend and Pitch Fest, August 1-4, 2024, Atlanta Georgia
NYU Accra Re-Claiming the Narrative Arts, Culture, and Ideas Symposium, October 19-23, 2023, Accra, Ghana
Pa Gya! Literary Festival, October 13-15, 2023, Accra, Ghana
Association of Writers & Writing Programs, March 8-11, 2023, Seattle, Washington
Margins Literary Conference, Aug 5-7, 2022, Denver, Colorado
Writers Program Now Summer Writers-in-Residence, July 7-Aug 8, 2022, Los Angeles, California
Antioch University MFA Residency, June 17-25, 2022, Culver City, California
AFFILIATIONS
Association of Writers and Writing Programs
Authors Guild
California Association of Teachers of English
California State University Los Angeles Alumni Association
California Teachers Association/National Education Association
Community of Literary Magazines and Presses
Independent Book Publishers Association
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
National Book Critics Circle
PEN America
Rewrite London
UCLA Alumni Association
Writers Program Network of Writers, UCLA Extension
LANGUAGES
Spanish: read, write, speak fluently
French: read, write, speak partially
Portuguese: read partially
Audrey Shipp 