Louie Opatz

Writer. Editor. Mentor. Tutor. Educator.

241 North Sibley Ave. Apt. 1 Litchfield, MN 55355
Tel: (320) 267-2730
Email:
lcopatz@gmail.com
http://louieopatz.com
LinkedIn:
http://linkd.in/1F665SK

WORK EXPERIENCE

STRENGTHS

Sports Editor, Litchfield Independent Review - Litchfield, MN

06/2014 - Present

Effective Communicator

Wrote sports recaps and features, shot and edited photographs and posted
stories online. Maintained connections with the community through social
media, using Facebook, Twitter and Tout to generate interest, gather
information and develop a dialogue with readers.

Reporter, Seaside Signal - Seaside, OR

08/2013 - 05/2014
Wrote myriad stories, from breaking news to profiles to data-driven pieces;
shot and edited photographs, attended community meetings and developed
productive relationships with citizens and officials of Seaside.

Library Writing Assistant, Clatsop Comm. Coll. - Astoria, OR

09/2013 - 05/2014
Assisted students at every stage of the writing process, from brainstorming
to revising. Developed in-class presentations, handouts and videos that
explained and illuminated various parts of the writing process.

Teaching Assistant, Portland State University - Portland, OR

09/2011 - 06/2013
Met with students one-on-one to discuss craft, punctuation, style, diction,
usage and structure and empowered them to to ask questions and take a
more active role in their education. Read and graded student papers, led
in-class presentations and served as a liaison between teacher and student.

Program Instructor, Metro Family Services - Gresham, OR

09/2011 - 04/2012
Taught low-income third-graders at Highland Elementary in math, reading
and writing after-school programs for the CAFE (Children and Families

Avid Learner

Creative Collaborator

SKILLS
Speak conversational
Spanish; proficient in
Microsoft Office Suite,
Photoshop, D2L and
music/podcast recording
and editing; cursory
knowledge of InDesign;
literate in social media;
experienced photographer
and photo editor.

Education) program. Was trained in, learned and implemented the PBIS
(Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports) approach to working with
students. Created and implemented individualized weekly lesson plans.

Interim Program Coordinator, I Have a Dream Foundation Portland, OR

09/2010 - 04/2011
Created and facilitated after-school programs for a sixth-grade class of
low-income, traditionally underserved students in Northeast Portland.
Implemented and coordinated a student achievement and evaluation system
that tracked student attendance, behavior, academics, leadership and effort.

AmeriCorps Tutor/Mentor, I Have a Dream Foundation Forest Grove, OR

09/2007 - 08/2009
Developed relationships with high school students and served as a resource,
sounding board, mentor, advocate and support for them as they worked
toward graduation. Submitted and received a grant to help students create a
CD of music and poetry dedicated to the life of Dr. King. Tutored high school
students in numerous subjects, from English to Econ. Assisted students with
college entrance and scholarship essays, from outline to final draft.

EDUCATION
Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing: Nonfiction Portland State University (Portland, OR)
2009 - 2013
Conducted research and interviews before immersing myself in a town of 85
for six months as preparation for my thesis, a 140-page nonfiction narrative
on baseball and its ability to culturally connect immigrant populations to
their adopted community. Maintained a 3.99 GPA.

Bachelor of Arts in English & Journalism - Augustana College

(Sioux Falls, SD)
2002 - 2006
Attended school full-time as a varsity student-athlete (baseball); made the
Deans list in the fall of 2005 and the spring of 2006 and was named
Academic All-Conference in 2005 and 2006. Maintained a 3.30 GPA.