My undergraduate studies with the General Studies department gave me the opportunity to explore my interests and career options before committing to a more comprehensive career path. After graduating, I continued to use my general studies education in a variety of fields from nonprofit, multimedia and video production, volunteer and event coordination, and medical lab administration while I more closely refined my career aspirations. I am now an Instructional Specialist Coordinator with the UA THINK TANK as well as a current Ph.D. graduate student in the Educational Psychology program. As someone deeply invested in higher education as a student and an instructor, I am engaged in ongoing research and service aimed at facilitating student success through trauma-informed approaches, specifically looking at how educators can shift methods of interacting and responding to students impacted by trauma through the influence of social support, connectedness, and positive interpersonal relationships.
