At the end of the first year of my PhD, I was nominated for the Outstanding New Core Writing Teaching Assistant of the Year! I feel humbled at the faith placed in me, but also proud of the work that I did to earn the nomination for the award, which I won.

I have to acknowledge the incredible people who have helped me this year as I adjusted to my PhD program and the new Core Writing Program. I would not have been as involved as I was this year were it not for the encouragement of Dr. Charles Paine, Dr. Julianne Newmark, and Dr. Rachael Reynolds, who have been supportive of my many endeavors here at the University of New Mexico. And most of all to my spouse who has taken care of the home front.