Cristen Andrews
University of Texas
Bachelor of Journalism Bachelor of Arts
cristenrene@gmail.com
(512) - 731-8544
University of Texas
About
I'm a versatile writer with over 15 years of experience creating educational content. Driven by insatiable curiosity and a passion for educating, innovating, research, and community engagement, I excel at launching significant and meaningful projects. Explore my website to learn how my diverse skills could benefit your organization.
Educational Writing
I develop reading and listening comprehension passages, as well as speaking prompts, for English-language proficiency assessments utilized by business organizations, academic institutions, and government agencies around the world. Additionally, I create test preparation materials and online learning modules for major publishers, focusing on English Language Learning (ELL), K-12 education, college readiness, and workplace skills development. Clients include Educational Testing Service (ETS), Lidget Green, and many more.
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Educational Writing
I develop reading and listening comprehension passages, as well as speaking prompts, for English-language proficiency assessments utilized by business organizations, academic institutions, and government agencies around the world. Additionally, I create test preparation materials and online learning modules for major publishers, focusing on English Language Learning (ELL), K-12 education, college readiness, and workplace skills development. Clients include Educational Testing Service (ETS), Lidget Green, Rosetta Stone, and many more.
Within this role as a freelance educational writer for assessment developers, I have written a diverse range of stimuli. Press releases, newsletters, broadcasts, college-level essays, interviews, meeting minutes, product labels, signage, you name it. My work is a fun mix of creative and technical writing. I get to research all sorts of topics, come up with interesting but plausible scenarios, and write clear, authentic texts that adhere to style guides, learning objectives, and proficiency standards such as CEFR and Common Core.
Nature & Garden Writing / Web Design
When I'm not busy writing educational content for clients, I’m writing blog posts, plant profiles, and creature features for the garden education website I developed, smalltownfarm.com. I also maintain our smalltownfarmtx instagram page and write sporadic newsletters to share what we've been up to. The images below link to few blog posts I've written.
Some topics I enjoy writing about: organic gardening | homesteading | soil building | bioregional herbalism | homegrown wellness | regenerative agriculture | permaculture | plant propagation | nature connection
Writing for Community Outreach
Through my volunteer work with the San Marcos Animal Shelter, PALS (Pet Prevent A Litter), the
county's Pawsitive Outcomes Implementation Plan Committee, and several animal welfare
organizations throughout Hays County, I've created many informational materials
to educate about new programs and raise awareness about urgent needs. I also love creating
resources that cultivate community-minded gardeners.
Marketing & Copyediting
I held various roles at Adlucent, a digital marketing startup in Austin. As a copy editor and SEO coordinator, I led search engine optimization campaigns for internet retailers and local businesses, creating marketing copy and improving clients' web pages to achieve higher rankings in search engine results. Additionally, I crafted and polished news releases, press materials, and company documents, ensuring clear and impactful communication across all platforms.
Photography
This section is currently being curated as I collect and organize my photography portfolio. In the meantime, please enjoy a selection of my travel photos and nature photography over at Fine Art America.
Garden Education / Nature Connection
I studied photojournalism at the University of Texas at Austin, herbalism at the Wildflower School of Botanical Medicine, permaculture at the Austin Permaculture Guild, and am a life-long student of the plants. I help spread the knowledge wherever I can through classes, hands-on workshops, garden tours, volunteer days, and silly instagram reels.
Some Previous Classes & Workshops
Traveling
I love exploring new places and I've had the privilege of traveling quite a bit. Here are some places I've been.
Creating
Lately, I'm firmly rooted in a little Texas town on the San Marcos River and I'm enjoying finding adventures in my own backyard. I love cultivating plants, creating things, and working with my hands. Here are some of the things I like doing.
