Hello

A Little Bit About Me:

I have long believed that it is never too late to achieve your dreams. For me, writing is the manifestation of an idea brought to life, and, indeed, writing has allowed for me to achieve my dreams. In 2016, after almost two decades in sales, I found myself wanting a change, but I did not know what I wanted to do. I opened a book, Who Moved My Cheese, that was sandwiched in between two other long neglected books and gave it a reread. I came to a page where a question was poised: “What would you do, if you weren’t afraid” (48). Etched into the block-of-cheese, my younger-self had penned in the answer to this question: “I would write.” So, I decided to heed the dream of my younger-self, and I reentered the university system where I learned how to write with finesse, and I collected a few degrees along the way: an Associate of Arts, a Bachelor of Arts in English, and a Master of Arts in English. While attending Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), I worked as a writing consultant at FGCU’s Writing Lab, helping others to fine-tune their own voice. Additionally, I founded and facilitated a community outreach program: Students and Seniors: From Our Nest to Theirs. I designed this letter writing campaign to unite students and senior citizens during a time of COVID-19 related lock-downs and visitor bans, and it remains my proudest life accomplishment. During my time at FGCU, I won multiple writing awards, published in two consecutive issues of the Mangrove Review, and was named Graduate Student of the Year for the 2020-2021 academic year in the College of Arts and Sciences. I also presented academic papers at two consecutive international conferences. I am now embarking on a post-university life, and I am thrilled to be able to share what I have learned—both in and out of the university setting— through exploration of the written word. This blog is part of an idea manifestation that was brought to life so many years ago: a reimagining that began with an answer to a question that was written into a figurative block-of-cheese.

What Will I Write About?

While I originally started this blog to write about writing, I have since changed my blog’s purpose. For now, This blog will examine how fear and trauma (a college research specialty) are used as tools to control behavior. Gaslighting in all of its many forms will be a secondary theme. This blog is being used to help guide my thoughts as I work on a larger project.

I am so happy to have you here.