Josh Navarro

Talk to Me About

• Critical race theory
• Marxism
• Creative writing
• Critical pedagogy
• 19th and 20th Century American Literature
• Tutorial professional development

Why Writing Matters to Me (and Why I Think it Should Matter to You)
I believe that writing is invaluable as a tool for shaping identities and empowering those who feel unsupported or disadvantaged. My own creative expression through my personal writing helped build confidence in myself as both a writer and an individual. My goal is to bring the same experience to students who have had their own tumultuous relationship with writing, or with higher education as an institution! 

Josh's pronouns: he/him/his, they/them

Josh Navarro is a learning center specialist who has worked in various colleges for more than four years. He is a graduate from California State University, Long Beach with a master of arts in English and a bachelor of arts in creative writing.

Josh’s background in writing dates back to his time writing for his college newspaper in community college - an experience that affirmed his passion for both writing and working in higher education. During his undergraduate years at CSULB, Josh worked as a writing consultant at the college’s writing center, where he provided one-on-one tutoring to a diverse student body, researched literature on writing center theory, and organized classroom-sized writing workshops. Additionally, Josh was also part of Saddleback College’s Learning Assistance faculty, supervising and evaluating tutors and acting as a liaison between teaching faculty and tutorial staff.

In graduate school, Josh’s main focus of studies were critical race theory and compositional theory, where his final compositional exam focused on masculinity in men of color through the lens of writers such as Judith Butler and Gloria Anzaldúa. Josh’s teaching philosophies are informed by student-centered critical pedagogy.

As a San Diego local, Josh is excited to work with a community important to him. He wholeheartedly believes in writing as a tool for shaping identities and encouraging student empowerment in higher education. He also applies these ideas on writing in his daily life - he is an active writer in poetry and prose, and a participant in local readings and open mics throughout San Diego. Josh’s main goal as an educator is to make the language and resources of higher education as accessible as possible for students who may feel disadvantaged or marginalized.