Teaching Artists

Ridgelines teaching artists are expert language artists—poets, writers, songwriters, journalists, storytellers, and more. What do we mean by “expert”? We mean that our TAs have their own ongoing language arts practices. In their daily lives they write poems, sing songs, perform plays, tell stories, and have firsthand experience of the reflection, honesty, pleasure, and intimacy fostered by the study of language arts.

Our teaching artists work in a variety of community settings and local non-profits to provide language arts instruction to those who are underserved in our region. We work closely with TAs to develop their own dream programs, and often describe ourselves as a “matchmaking” organization—a big part of Ridgelines’ mission is connecting our TAs with the people they want to serve, learn with, and teach. In addition to supporting TAs administratively and financially, Ridgelines facilitates conversations between TAs and the organizations where they teach so that each program is built to fulfill the needs and goals of participants.

Abby Minor

ACC Art & Imagination Club

Abby Minor has taught poetry-writing and storytelling workshops in low-income nursing homes, senior centers, and personal care facilities since 2012. Her award-winning programs honor the voices and imaginations of older adults from all walks of life. Her students have been farmers, dancers, teachers, mothers, fathers, artists, hunters, mowers of graveyards, and more. Abby specializes in working with adults who have physical and cognitive disabilities, including memory loss—her classes meet people where they are at and celebrate each person’s contributions. Each program responds to the specific interests and needs of participants, but the goal is always to learn more about ourselves, each other, and poetry. Through discussions, readings, listening, and sharing, participants gain a deeper sense of who they are and what the world is. Abby is an alumna of Smith College, the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps, and the MFA in Creative Writing Program at Penn State.

Robin Rydzy

A Poem in Our Eyes

Robyn Rydzy is an author, journalist and essayist based in State College. She is editor of Centered Magazine, a quarterly health and wellness publication, and is associate editor of State College Magazine, covering the Centre Region. In addition to working as a freelance writer for varied publications, including The Washington Post, GQ.com and SUCCESS Magazine, she runs a copywriting and editing business at WellPhrased.com. She also has been a college lecturer on writing and interviewing, and has authored two books for the wedding industry. A longtime hospice volunteer, Robyn has taught for Ridgelines since 2019.

Kathleen Morrow

Poetry at CYCC

Kathleen Morrow studied Communication Arts and Sciences at PSU. She has participated in several poetry slams, as poet, host, and featured reader. Kathy founded Local Youth Poets (LYP), a poetry performance group for young people in Centre County, and juried the Westmoreland Arts and Heritage Festival Poetry Contest. Published poetry includes On The Brink of Something New and The Lutz-Morrow Affair (with Reggie Lutz.) She teaches creative writing and writes puppet shows for Adam Swartz Puppets. Kathy loves to be involved in poetry projects that connect the community; highlights include teaching and reading through the Jana Marie Foundation Mokita Project, Poems from Life, Art Alliance of Central PA, St Andrew's Episcopal Church, Schlow Memorial Library, and the Central PA Theatre and Dance Fest. She is honored and excited to work with the incredible Ridgelines crew and bring more opportunities for creative expression to the Centre County Youth Center.

Carolyne Meehan

Mindfulness Writing at Centre Safe

Carolyne Meehan is a mother to three wild spirited kids, married to a man who loves soccer and maps, who is always up for a spontaneous hike or a contemplative conversation over tea. She is adjunct faculty at The Pennsylvania State University in the College of Education where she works to prepare future secondary level English teachers to be compassionate, present and well-read educators. She co-created Write to Shine, a creative writing company based in State College, to help people of all ages write and tell their own stories and to use writing as a tool to be more mindful and awake in everyday life. From her love of food and farmers, she writes the monthly “Dishing” column for State College Magazine. She works to fill her days with fresh air, deep listening, questioning the status quo and creating intentional connections through language, song, shared meals and gathering.

Brenna Lee

Being Heard

Brenna Lee is the author of Soft Flood (dancing girl press, 2022). She received her BA in English Literature at Pennsylvania State University and her MFA in Writing & Poetics from Naropa University, where she was the recipient of the Leslie Scalapino Award for Postmodern Poetics. Her work has recently appeared in Bone Bouquet, BathHouse, No Contact, Dream Pop, and Poetry Project’s Footnotes. Her novel, What Became Its Body, was shortlisted for the Dzanc Fiction Prize. She has previously held Writer-in-Residence positions for Michigan-based nonprofits InsideOut Literary Arts and Youth Arts Alliance. Brenna has taught creative writing and meditation in public schools, universities, county jails, juvenile detention facilities, crisis centers, libraries, conferences, and the Detroit Zoo. She facilitates the Being Heard Creative Writing program for lower-income adults at Centre Care Nursing Home.

Jenny Hwozdek_TA_Ridgelines Language Art

Jennifer Hwozdek

Life Out Loud

Jennifer Hwozdek has been teaching for nearly 30 years, first in the fields of holistic health and homeopathy, and more recently in the art and craft of storytelling. Her personal history as an advocate for incarcerated people inspired her to design the storytelling program Life Out Loud for Ridgelines that serves the creative needs of incarcerated women. As a homeopathic practitioner, Jennifer worked with a diverse community of people--from rural to urban, from flower farmers to university professors, and from mothers to motorcycle mechanics--and honed her skills at creating spaces where people feel safe to explore their personal histories and experience the immeasurable healing that comes from being deeply heard. Jenny’s intention for her students is that they are empowered by the act of speaking their life out loud. Jenny is a graduate from Penn State University’s Film Program, the Pacific Academy of Homeopathy, and has pursued extensive post-graduate study in homeopathy both nationally and internationally.

Kayleb Rae Candrilli

Poetry for the Present

Kayleb Rae Candrilli is the recipient of a PEW Fellowship, Whiting Award, and of a fellowship from the National Endowment of the Arts. They are the author of Water I Won't Touch (Copper Canyon, 2021), All the Gay Saints (Saturnalia 2020), and What Runs Over (YesYes Books, 2017). As a Ridgelines TA, Kayleb has offered digital poetry workshops for the Penns Valley High School Diversity Club throughout the spring of 2022.