Gabby Balza

Born in Venezuela and raised in South Florida, Gabby Balza spent much of her childhood consuming whatever book she could get her hands on and writing a slew of bad fan fiction and angsty poetry. She began her one-way journey toward colder climates by attending Emerson College in Boston, where she received a BFA in Writing, Literature and Publishing (focusing on fiction). While she interned at local literary agencies and served on the editorial team for various on campus publications, she began to develop a love of teaching. After graduating, Gabby taught and coordinated creative writing projects in Boston Public Schools, collaborating with high school students and teachers on zines, book publications, newspapers, after-school writing clubs, and more.

After eight years of her Boston adventures, Gabby attended The University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she completed her MFA in poetry and where she is a Lecturer in the English department. In addition to teaching poetry, fiction, and college composition to undergraduates, Gabby has been an Essay Coach since 2020. When she isn’t teaching, Gabby enjoys road tripping, camping, hiking, going on long runs, reading books, and writing.