I have been fascinated with instructional technology since my family got our first home computer in 1995. I couldn't get enough of the immersive experiences that our educational computer games provided; it felt like going to another world, and at the time I didn't even realize I was learning!
Shortly after graduating from NC State University, I landed my first full-time job working at the campus library. I realized that my favorite responsibility was providing technological instruction to students and faculty, yet also yearned to share my creativity and to foster a pro-active approach to the obstacles they were facing. After some late night research, I discovered that the instructional technology field would be an ideal fit for me. I was delighted to find Appalachian State University's Master of Arts program in Educational Media/Instructional Technology on a top ten list of best schools for that particular concentration and immediately applied. My first semester in the program was spent abroad on a 4-month solo backpacking trip in Europe, as I decided it would be a perfect opportunity to test the limits of online learning and see firsthand what obstacles I may need to help people with in my career. Since then, I have honed my skills in technology leadership to tackle the ever-evolving challenges that face higher education, including researching and implementing emerging technologies, project management, and team building.