Meet Heather Woods, essay advisor for Heartwood Editing

​I love coaching students to tell their stories authentically and effectively, and seeing their confidence in their writing and themselves grow.

I began working with students on their college application essays in 2014, first for my own daughter and her friend. I had so much fun, I started volunteering at Woodside High School to see if I could help students I didn't already know. It worked, and I officially launched Heartwood Editing in 2016. I now give feedback on the college drafts of WHS AP English students, thanks to the WHS Foundation, and still volunteer at school. I'm able to review multiple drafts and give more thorough evaluations to my direct clients.
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I spent more than 20 years as a professional writer and editor, focused mainly on communicating science to the general public for local newspapers, Stanford University, and nonprofit environmental groups. I have a BA in biology from UC Berkeley and a graduate certificate from the Science Communication Program at UC Santa Cruz.
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My daughters attended public schools, including WHS. One is now a software engineer and one is studying at UCLA.

Heartwood Editing is located in Redwood City, California. I have worked with students from Cupertino, Daly City, Emerald Hills, Hillsborough, Menlo Park, Portola Valley, Redwood City, San Carlos, San Mateo, and Woodside. I can also work remotely with students beyond the Peninsula and the San Francisco Bay Area.

I’ve known Heather for 14 years and always known her to be intelligent, articulate, and personable. She’s also written the content for various fundraising projects I’ve been involved with and did a fantastic job. I’d highly recommend her for any editing work you may have.
-Ron Talain, Redwood City Education Foundation Inspiration Award winner 2013
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