Bret Kaufman

Hello. My name is Bret Kaufman, and I’ve been teaching full time at Cypress since 2018. My main teaching areas are composition, critical thinking, creative writing, and literature. I’m the co-founder of the Creative Writing Certificate Program and the creator of its Introduction to Short Story Writing and Introduction to Creative Nonfiction Writing courses. I’m also the creator of two literature courses—Science Fiction and Fantasy Fiction—which I teach in rotation in the fall and spring respectively. All of my courses revolve around the two major themes of hope and global citizenship because I believe that hope is the most foundational virtue of the human condition and that the realization of global citizenship is a necessity. There are few things I enjoy more than working with students to help them explore their powers of analysis, expression, and comprehension of the world. Currently, I’m pursuing a Ph.D. in education and social justice to further professionalize my craft, and I’m writing my first novel, Ridvan, which explores a unifying vision of the major religions of the world. It’s truly an honor to be of service at Cypress College, and I’m forever grateful for all of the beautiful interactions I’ve had and continue to have with students and colleagues in this educational space.