Unbelievably, I have been at this higher education gig for two decades and some change. What keeps me going day in and day out is the autonomy and innovation that I can pursue in my teaching, research, and service at Stephen F. Austin State University. When I think back to my eighth grade self that fake coughed her way out of a speech to the person that I am today, I recognize how human communication skills are hard-earned over time. I hope I inspire my students to struggle well on their own human communication journeys to be better speakers, negotiators, teammates, leaders, and more. I love what I do with a passion and believe that all communication is a form of storytelling that has the potential to connect people across space and time for their mutual benefit.To break it down for anyone that kept reading, I teach undergraduate courses at a comprehensive regional university that recently came under the University of Texas System. From basic courses in interpersonal communication and public speaking to advanced courses in health communication, communication theory, organizational communication, and interpersonal communication, I have lots of teaching experience. As for my research, I focus on health communication, crisis/risk communication, and a handful of other topics that relate to pedagogy or subjects that I teach. Also, I love to collaborate, so lots of projects are because my beloved colleagues wanted to tackle the project as a team rather than solo. I enjoy working with journals in health communication and health humanities such The Intima and Qualitative Research in Medicine and Health. "Struggle well," is the motto I live by and encourage others to do so as well.