About Shamontiel

Writer ~ Editor ~ Dog Lover

Shamontiel (pronounced Shə mawn T L) Latrice Vaughn is a full-time, freelance editor and writer via Upwork. The Chicago native has 17 years of combined publishing experience in journalism; print and online editing; website building and editing; social media marketing; and four years in mid-level management. Right after college, she self-published two novels ("Round Trip" and "Change for a Twenty"). When she's not reading, writing or editing, Shamontiel is playing with her Hound mix, who she adopted after two years as a dog caregiver (89 dogs/510 total walks).

Work

As a full-time freelance journalist and editor, her primary clients on Upwork vary every quarter. As of May 2022, her lineup includes the following:

Editor-In-Chief of a real estate monthly magazine
Editor of attorney's weekly newsletter and Bitcoin business news copy for business blogs
Fact Checker for legal, finance, health and real estate daily marketing emails
Editor of charter school announcements (newsletters, brochures)

Her latest op-ed bylines can also be found in her three publications on Medium and two on Substack, along with journalism copy on Go4Rent Magazine.

Before becoming a full-time freelancer, she dabbled in the marketing industry for a year and a half, shortly after completing a co-writing partnership for J. Paye in Brief's law blogging series. (Her additional writing clips can be found in RETHINK Retail, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Defender, CBS Chicago and more.)

As a tech enthusiast with a web editing background, her resume includes past full-time employment as a Digital News Editor for the Chicago Tribune, and as a Staff Writer and Web Editor for The Chicago Defender. Her print editing background includes Feld Entertainment and Pearson Education, as well as employment as an Assistant Copy Editor for Kaplan Financial.

Volunteer

Shamontiel L. Vaughn, CC, PM5, ACB, is a member of Unity Toastmasters, a community Chicago Toastmasters club. She's held five offices in years' past: President, VP of Education, VP of Membership, VP of Public Relations (two times) and Sergeant at Arms. Shamontiel competed at the division level with a corporate Toastmasters group for the 2018 International Speaking Competition before joining Unity TM. In February 2018, she completed her Competent Communicator certification. In May 2019, she completed Pathways and became Presentation Mastery Proficient. And in December 2019, she earned certification in Advanced Communicator Bronze. With the help of her Toastmasters training, she was also a yearlong co-host (2019) of Do Not Submit Chicago: Rogers Park. Previously, she was also the 2020-21 condo association board president and 2021-22 condo board treasurer for her residence.

Learn

This Chicago native graduated Cum Laude from Lincoln University (MO) with a Bachelor of Arts in English/Creative Writing. Shamontiel has also taken graduate school courses at DePaul University in Lincoln Park. Her areas of educational focus were writing, communications, Spanish and criminal justice. She is also a member of Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Honor Society.

Shamontiel has participated in various political and news events, including promoting and raising money for President Barack H. Obama's presidential campaign; completing canvass assignments for the Affordable Care Act registration; journaling about her 16-year vegetarian lifestyle; and volunteering for (now-defunct) charitable organizations such as BEHIV to speak about safe sex, STD and STI testing.

Play

Dance choreography is an instant stress relief for her, specifically Kukuwa Fitness. But after adopting a Hound mix who is serious about multiple daily walks per day, she's more likely to be strolling around Chicago and randomly yelling "Why do you keep finding dead, wild animals?"