The Write Help is the brainchild of Bonnie Engstrom, a professional writer, former newspaper columnist, PTA education advocate for children, and professional fundraiser. Upon retiring from her PTA advocacy for children positions, she realized the need for assisting students, job applicants and writers in the final editing process.

Engstrom has spent over 30 years in the education arena as a volunteer and as a professional. A recipient of the distinguished PTA Honorary Service Award and the PTA Continuing Service Award, she devoted hundreds of hours to mentoring high school students, helping them to identify their strengths and "put them on paper" for scholarship and college applications. As a result of her efforts, 95% of the young people with whom she worked gained entrance to the colleges of their choice and/or received prestigious scholarships.

She has been distinquished as an invited presenter at national, state, and local education conferences and conventions*; a five time PTA president (twice as a council/school district president); and a five time member of the board of directors of the Orange County, CA PTA. She has also designed numerous brochures, fliers and display ads for businesses and nonprofit agencies. Currently, Engstrom is a candidate for a Fundraising Credential at the University of California, Irvine. The final project for her first class is still being used as the example in many classes.

In 1992 she was awarded the honor of "public education advocate" as a member of the Daily Pilot newspaper's 103 Distinguished People of the Year for her work with young people.

Engstrom is a graduate of the University of Southern California; a former creative writing/journalism major at the University of Pittsburgh, and a former English Literature major at the George Washington University. Her family includes her husband David of 37 years, a Ph.D. clinical psychologist www.drsleep.com, her sons Loren, a Computer Systems Analyst (graduate, Northern Arizona University); Brian, Candidate/graduate at the University of Southern California, Irvine; and Dana, a Counseling Service Manager for the University Of Phoenix Online Campus.

A WHAM (Work At Home Mom), Engstrom believes that "presentation is all". When one has only the written word to present him/her self, it must be dynamic and gripping. As an education and scholarship advisor at Monte Vista High School, Costa Mesa, CA, she discovered that most students did not understand how to present their best attributes during the application process for college entry and scholarships. Whether a lack of self esteem, a lack of understanding the process, or a lack of learning, Engstrom guided them through the process, drawing them out to explore and reveal their unique attributes which led them to success. Her 95% success rate has benefited many.

Animal lovers all, the family has 2 cats, Snoopy and Slinky who live with Dana and her husband in Arizona, five year old Jake "the dawg" and Luciano Pavorati aka Masked Lovebird. Visit the Min-Pin Webring on the Write Help homepage.

* The National PTA, California State PTA, California Consortium for Independent Study State Conferences, Californian Consortium for Independent Study local conferences, Region 10.