A Southern California native, Tania has called the climatically diverse Midwest her home for most of her adult life. After earning a BA in Creative Writing from the University of California, Riverside, Tania went on to receive an MFA in Creative Writing from Bowling Green State University and an MA in Secondary Education from Roosevelt University. With over fifteen years of teaching, writing, and editorial experience, Tania now tutors middle and high school students in reading, writing, college application essays, and ACT/SAT. A 2011 NEA Literature Fellow and winner of several other poetry awards, Tania is author of A Thousand Vessels (WordFarm), Simple Weight (FutureCycle), and Delicious Air (Finishing Line Press). She lives in Illinois with her husband, two daughters, and son.