For as long as I can remember, I have loved words. My mother often reminds me that she recognized this fascination for the first time when she found me, as a toddler, sitting on the floor surrounded by a pile of books, methodically turning pages as if I were already reading to myself. As I grew, I fostered her love of words through my education, and that passion continues in my career.
I received my bachelor's degree in English with a minor in literature and a minor in writing from Southwestern Assemblies of God University (now known as Nelson University). During my time there, I worked as a teacher’s assistant for two English professors, Drs. Danny Alexander and Amy Alexander. They both saw in me more than just a love of reading and writing, but a true gift, and encouraged me to consider graduate school upon completing my B.A. I was accepted into Texas A&M University-Commerce, where I received a master's in English, with a graduate certificate in Children’s and Young Adult Literature Studies 2019. Immediately after completing my M.A., I decided to stay on at A&M-Commerce and pursue my Ph.D. with a focus in Composition and Rhetoric. I began my PhD journey in January of 2020, and I successfully completed my program in February 2024.
During my graduate studies at A&M-Commerce, I received the opportunity to teach as a Graduate Assistant Teacher, and quickly discovered that I had a knack and passion for teaching. From 2019-2023, I taught many college-level writing and literature courses, both at A&M-Commerce and as an adjunct professor at Southwestern Assemblies of God University. As well as teaching pre-created courses, I had the opportunity to design and teach my own unique classes. My two favorites were an honors Writing Nonfiction course, which was titled “Writing You” and focused on creative and multimodal memoirs; the other was a Children’s and Young Adult literature course titled “Indigenous Voices," which focused on young adult novels written by Native American authors. Additionally, I helped design a graduate level course titled “The Rhetoric of Mr. Rogers,” which focused on a rhetorical analysis of Fred Rogers’ television show Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood and the ways he rhetorically communicated compassion and kindness to his viewers.
In my last year of my PhD, I stepped out of my role as teacher and took the opportunity to work as a writer and communications specialists in the Office of Marketing and Communications, where I learned so many new and useful skills. However, the classroom always had my heart, so after graduating in 2024, I was honored to receive a full-time lecturer position in the same place that molded me and helped me discover my calling: A&M-Commerce. This place has come to feel like home, and I am grateful to work with such incredible colleagues and friends.
I have published several articles, presented at numerous conferences, and been invited to speak at professional development events and graduate classes. I have also worked on several writing and editing projects, including a heavy revision of the textbook Writing Inquiry, A&M-Commerce's first-year writing curriculum.
Whether I am teaching, writing, or researching, my passion and excitement for learning, writing, and helping others shines. In my free time, I love to play with my two dogs (a dachshund and a husky), play music, garden, exercise at my local CrossFit gym, and (you guessed it) read and write.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.