Suzanne Gannon

Suzanne Gannon (Col ’89 CM) has just completed a fourth season as a writing coach, helping students tackle undergraduate, transfer and grad-school application essays. As a journalist and essayist, she has advised applicants from around the country and abroad. Her clients have written on a variety of topics — from TikTok obsessions and eBay businesses to dough balls and Disney World — and she is convinced that she learns more from her clients than they do from her. 

Journalist and essayist Suzanne Gannon (COL ’89 CM) has parlayed her insatiable curiosity and her reportorial skills in interviewing and fact-finding into a fresh endeavor known as The Essay Conqueror. In this capacity she works as a writing coach to students grappling with the daunting task of the college-admissions essay in the test-optional Age of Corona, when writing is again enjoying a moment in the limelight. Working one-on-one and in small groups over Zoom, and using reading and writing exercises that emphasize discovery and exposition, Suzanne has advised students from across the country who have applied to undergrad and grad programs alike, both as first-years and as transfers, in an array of disciplines. In each case, she challenges students to find the truest voice in which to tell their most authentic story.