Student Testimonials

Andrea helped me transform a group of half-finished poems into a complete manuscript. Working with her, and participating in the workshops she led, revealed possibilities in my work that I otherwise would not have recognized.

— Joe Milazzo (Poetry Collective, 2020-2021)

“By way of her careful mentorship and the curriculum she advanced (at Regis University’s Mile-high MFA), Andrea Rexilius guided me into a profound awareness of what a life in poetry calls for. It’s not that she taught me how to write a poem or imposed on me some preconception of what/how a poem should be; rather, as a function of her questions, and in attending to the latent potentials in my writing, she showed me how to disappear (and see my poem as not mine), how to relinquish control of words and yield to their desire/direction.

It's strange: somehow Andrea realizes my (intellectual) interests and the obstacles I will encounter even before I do, as if she were always awaiting me in the future; her lessons continue to unfold. All my poems are written ‘with’ her.”

—Michael Schuffler (Mile-High MFA in Creative Writing, 2017-2019)

Learning from Andrea as a teacher and mentor is therapeutic and eye-opening. She helped me find rhythm and build new associations, never short of suggestions for rewriting or rethinking a poem. Andrea is gracious, hilarious, and committed to every writer's intentions, style, and practice. She makes you believe you're a writer and always on the way to being a better one. I felt (and continue to feel) truly supported by her and what I've learned from her and her poems.

—Edy Guy (Poetry Collective, 2020-2021)

Andrea is an exceptional teacher and I am fortunate to have taken many classes with her. She is very knowledgeable, well organized and provides a wealth of information in each class. Andrea is patient, kind and funny. She meets her students where they are and takes them to places they didn’t know existed. She encourages her students to grow and expand the boundaries of what they think is possible for themselves. Always supportive, she takes time to answer questions and help explore the stuck places. Andrea has played an important part in my development as a writer. I highly recommend her as an instructor, coach and mentor.

—Erika Walker (Lighthouse Writers Workshop, 2017-2021)

Andrea Rexilius brings fierce intelligence, heart, creativity and passion to her teaching. Andrea's intuitive understanding of a poem’s trajectory and her feedback always makes my work stronger. Her encouragement and guidance has improved both my craft and my confidence as a writer. I am Latina with Indigenous heritage and often the only person of color in class. Andrea brings great skill and empathetic deftness to predominantly white space group dynamics. For this, I am thankful. A talented teacher has the ability to change you for the better. This is the type of teacher Andrea is. I am grateful to have studied with her.

—Yvette Lonteen y Torres (Lighthouse Writers Workshop, 2018-2021)