One of the most prominent themes of my life has been my passion for learning. As a first generation college student, it was not until I met mentors at Mount Vernon Nazarene University (MVNU) that I began to imagine how my interests and abilities might be applied to the vocation of teaching and practicing psychology. My undergraduate professors modeled for me an intellectually robust and heartfelt engagement with the integration of faith and learning. My professors across the arts and sciences shaped my thoughts and practices in ways that cultivated my imagination, enriched my worldview, and developed my character. It was at MVNU that I was introduced to the idea that "all truth is God's truth" and that an intellectually rigorous approach to the study of creation is a worthwhile and sacred pursuit. Moreover, as I encountered pedagogy that was rooted within a Wesleyan-Arminian theological perspective, I experienced a convergence of previously isolated identities: I began to see the role of psychological science and practice from the perspective of my own tradition of faith. I was entrusted to peer mentor students in psychology courses through my role as a supplemental instructor; this further stoked my interest in teaching as a vocation. Most importantly, I owe my path toward the academy to mentors who embodied integration, stoked within me an imagination for Christian higher education, and encouraged me to follow the path they had taken.

The current chapter in my story is exciting because I have been afforded a position through which I have opportunities daily to practice habits of scholarship and teaching within a Wesleyan context of higher education. My initiation as a faculty member at Southern Nazarene University marked my return to the type of academic culture that had so powerfully shaped my character and imagination as an undergraduate student. Now, on the "other side of the desk," so to speak, I likewise encounter students who are energetically seeking knowledge, asking big questions, and applying insights to their personal and professional development. I count myself privileged to be invited into conversations with them about their past struggles, current growing edges, and future hopes. Although my title and role are that of teacher, I still see myself very much as a student. My tutors come in many forms: dear colleagues who converse with me and model quality teaching, the authors of the texts I assign, scholars who write insightfully about Christian pedagogy, studious pupils who ask challenging questions and demonstrate growing self-awareness, and inspiring friends who seek mercy and justice in our community. I am especially grateful for my colleagues, who build a fun, thoughtful, and rewarding environment together. I have enjoyed teaching a variety of psychology courses for undergraduate non-majors, psychology majors and minors, and graduate students pursing degrees in counseling. The pursuits of a faculty member are ever-building, and I am grateful for a vocation that offers perpetual opportunities for creating habits that cultivate character growth, meaningful relationships, and life coherence.